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Student numbers in MV are falling – the economy is sounding the alarm!
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is recording a decline in student numbers, which poses challenges for the economy and universities.
Student numbers in MV are falling – the economy is sounding the alarm!
In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the mood at universities is clouded: the number of students fell to around 36,000 in the 2024/2025 winter semester. This corresponds to a decrease of 2.8 percent compared to the previous year. The universities of applied sciences, which are suffering from the decline in student numbers, are particularly affected. Loud n-tv This is worrying news for the economy, which relies on bright minds to advance research and education. Susan Bach from the Association of Business Associations called for universities to be marketed better and MV's strengths to be highlighted.
With economic growth of 1.3 percent last year, while the nationwide gross domestic product shrank by 0.2 percent, the region has the opportunity to present its universities more attractively. The advantages of universities in MV are their smaller size, close connections to business and the opportunity for students to take advantage of better internship opportunities.
Declining number of first-year students
A particularly worrying aspect is the decline in first-year students. Here, too, there was a decline of 1.1 percent; the proportion of first-year students is just 5,562. What is also surprising is that 43 percent of new enrollees come from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, which strengthens the local base. The number of female students accounts for almost 55 percent, a positive trend in a university landscape that is often dominated by men.
The fields of study are extremely diverse, but there are still some subjects that have extremely low enrollment numbers. Courses such as Italian, Baltic Studies, Russian and Polish are sometimes in the single digits, which raises questions about the future importance of such subjects. By the way, 6,777 students will successfully complete their training in the 2024 exam year, which means a slight increase of 1 percent compared to the previous year.
Nationwide comparison
Interestingly, the number of students nationwide is stagnating at around 2.9 million, while slight increases are being recorded in some federal states such as Bavaria, Thuringia, Hamburg, Brandenburg and Saxony. In a comparison, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is the second largest decline after Schleswig-Holstein. The Ministry of Science in Schwerin has not yet commented on the reasons for this decline. However, Minister Bettina Martin (SPD) is optimistic about a positive turnaround in the future.
This shows that change in universities brings with it both challenges and opportunities. NDR reports on the need to promote private sector initiatives and the recruitment of international students in order to revive student numbers.
The universities in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania must now do their best to increase their attractiveness and to ensure that the bright minds of tomorrow stay in the region and contribute to future development. A look at the number of students in Germany shows that there is potential; Since 1998 the numbers have increased from around 1.8 million to almost 2.9 million, although the 3 million mark has not yet been reached.
The universities in MV are therefore faced with the challenge of emphasizing regional identity and at the same time competing with national trends. The time to act has come to secure the future of education in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.