87 percent of respondents would recommend Goethe University Frankfurt for a degree course.
The third university-wide student survey shows that Goethe University students continue to be very satisfied with their choice: 87 percent of respondents said they would recommend the university to others for a degree course. That percentage has remained more or less unchanged at this high level since 2018 (89%). It is interesting to note that when it comes to recommending the university there are only minor differences in responses between male and female students, and between students from academic and non-academic households. Considered by the type of degree program, by contrast, the results vary: Those studying for a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree, or a degree in teaching, gave Goethe University a positive rating more often (89.5%, 90.1% and 87.3% respectively) than those studying for a state examination (81.5%) or those studying for other types of degrees such as the German “Diplom” or “Magister” (77.8%). The rate of recommendation was especially high for the Faculties of Social Sciences (92.6%), Educational Sciences (94.6%), Geosciences and Geography (91.6%) and Biological Sciences (93.8%).
Applying in-depth analysis* to identify the factors influencing students’ recommendations shows that those who chose Goethe University Frankfurt for its good reputation or its attractive study conditions are more likely to recommend it. On the other hand, if students were not entirely free to choose Goethe University or were unable to obtain a place at the university of their first choice, or if the online portal “Hochschulstart” assigned their place, they are less likely to recommend Goethe University. That being the case, the university’s portfolio and offerings are also important: The better the supervision by teaching staff and the higher the rates of satisfaction with services such as student advisory services and hotlines, the better the chances of recommendation. The analysis points out the importance of targeted supervision and basing decisions on positive reasons.
How about those who have already completed their degrees? How would they rate their time at Goethe University? The graduate survey supplements the student survey and shows which crucial factors would lead students to select Goethe University again. Here, too, the analysis shows that autonomy during the degree course and the support services offered by the university are major factors, with graduates’ responses indicating that they would likely choose Goethe University again if learning processes could be designed independently, with the required support on hand. The information gathered from the graduates also confirmed the student survey finding that students and graduates who take a state examination (not including those in teacher training) are the most critical of Goethe University.
Antonia Winkler and Dr. Philipp Nolden, Studium Lehre Internationales (SLI)
*A linear regression was used to investigate how various factors influence a certain variable. In this case the researchers analyzed how the students’ reasons for their decisions and their experience affected their recommendation rates.
You can find more results and information (in German) on the websites of the student survey and the graduate survey (in German).
