With respect to the university sector, the federal government has gained more influence because of the strong link between research and university education. There is a Federal Ministry of Science and Research, which funds an extensive Programme for University Buildings (Hochschulbauprogramm). The Federal Parliament (Bundestag) also passed a General University Law (Hochschulrahmengesetz) to set common general rules for university education and organisation within Germany. Despite of the responsibility of the federal states for university policy, the recommendations of the Science Council (Wissenschaftsrat), an independent advisory body, do have a great impact on all decisions regarding the university sector.

School System
German schools for general education offer three levels of graduation. As outlined in the graph, after four or six years of primary school, the student has to decide between the three branches of elementary school (Hauptschule), middle school (Realschule) and secondary school (Gymnasium).

Elementary school (Hauptschule) leads after the mandatory 9 to 10 years of school to the final exam (Hauptschulabschluß) which is mostly followed by a professional apprenticeship of three years. The apprenticeship leads to the professional status of a skilled worker (Facharbeiter) in industry or a fellow (Geselle) in a handicraft. Thus the elementary school (Hauptschule) has to prepare the students for practical work and a professional career.

Middle school (Realschule) and its mid-level exam (Realschulabschluß, mittlere Reife) after 10 years of school also give this opportunity. But in addition, this exam is an entrance requirement for quite a number of professional careers and schools, mainly in business and administration. Therefore, this type of school must train more the theoretical knowledge and basic principles.

The secondary school (Gymnasium) is designed to lead within 12 to 13 years to the general higher education exam (Abitur, Hochschulreife) which enables the student to enter university. Therefore this type of school is the most demanding in theoretical terms and the most prestigious.

Although the three different types of schools are quite specialised, there are a number of ways to get to university even with an elementary school education, as may be noticed from the graph.

Higher Education
The higher education system in Germany consists of universities, including medical, veterinary and technical universities, colleges of arts, of music and of sports, colleges of philosophy and theology, unified university colleges (Gesamthochschulen), teacher training colleges and technical colleges (Fachhochschulen). Due to the responsibility of the states for higher education, there are some minor differences in the structure and regulations for the university sector.

All courses at institutions of higher education are free of charge, there is only a small social service fee for the students. All students must have the chance to enter university or another institution of higher learning, but for some studies admission is limited in general (Numerus Clausus) or at some universities (distribution procedure). The admission is then dependent on the point average in the higher education exam (Abitur), on the length of the waiting period, on the service in military or social institutions and on similar criteria.

Technical Colleges (Fachhochschulen) The task of Fachhochschulen is to provide practical, scientifically based education enabling the student to work independently. Therefore, at the Fachhochschulen, there is also practical research and development work done.
Changes from Fachhochschule to university and the reverse are both possible, however, the conditions might be somewhat different from one state to another.

Unified University Colleges (Gesamthochschulen) The Gesamthochschulen combine several functions, namely research, practice and theory, whereas these functions are separated in universities and Fachhochschulen. The Gesamthochschulen offer study programmes of varying length and degrees of different levels corresponding to these programmes.

Universities and Specialised Colleges The main feature of German universities and specialised colleges is the double responsibility for teaching and research. They emphasise in their study programmes theory and methodological work, whereas their research is more concentrated on fundamental principles than on direct practical application.

Admission of Foreign Students Foreign students can be admitted to any institution of higher education. Despite of some common regulations through the Conference of Cultural Ministers (KMK), there are quite some differences between states and institutions. Therefore students are advised to inquire about the specific conditions at the particular institution in question.