How does the secondary schooling system in Germany work?

Underage youth in Germany are obligated to attend school, usually between the age of (ca.) 6 and 16. After elementary school, secondary schooling is split into two phases: 

• the Sekundarstufe I (lower secondary schooling) which usually comprises grade 5-10, 
• and the Sekundarstufe II (upper secondary schooling) where pupils can (but are not required to) continue schooling for 2 or 3 years. 

Pupils can visit different types of schools and obtain different kinds of school-leaving qualifications. 

• Successfully finishing Sekundarstufe I (lower secondary schooling) will qualify them for more practical professional qualification paths such as vocational training (Ausbildung) (Ausbildung). 
• In order to study at a university they need to complete the upper secondary qualification (Sekundarstufe II) and attain a high enough score in the final tests. 

Find out more about what comes after leaving secondary school in the Orientation Flow for the Kiron Campus Application Checklist. 

How can I complete my schooling?

If you did not complete your schooling in your home country or if the school-leaving qualification from your home country is not recognized as equivalent to the German qualification, you have several options to complete your upper secondary schooling in Germany: 

If you are under the age of 21, we strongly recommend that you go to a German high school and finish the years you have left (you could also attend an evening school; Abendgymnasium; or a Kolleg, a preparatory school).

If you are older than 21, you can go to:

• Evening schools (Abendschule): institutions for adults to catch up on school-leaving certificates;
• Adult education centers (Volkshochschule): there you can take courses on all kinds of topics but also catch up on school certificates. If you are interested in going to a Volkshochschule, we suggest you get in contact directly. Find the closest one to you here.

In some cases, you have to attend a Studienkolleg in order to get the university entrance qualification (Hochschulzugangsberechtigung = HZB).

As for the lower secondary schooling, you may also complete it at evening schools, adult education centers or in correspondence schools. Find information on this on the Ausbildung info page.