Germany vs South Korea (Comparing Education Systems 2026)

Explore full profiles:🏫 Germany Education System 🏫 South Korea Education System

Updated: September 12, 2026 View update notes

September 12, 2026 South Korea – Country Data: Updated South Korea’s PISA 2025 scores to 522, 501, and 526 and refreshed 2026 higher-education figures.

September 11, 2026 Germany – Country Data: Updated Germany’s PISA section with 2025 scores, full participation years, and current performance trends.

This page compares the education systems of Germany and South Korea.

Education System Overview

Germany and South Korea education system comparison: Education System Overview
Category	Germany	South Korea
System Type	Public-private mix; Governance model: Decentralized (federal). School education is primarily the responsibility of Germany’s 16 Länder, which coordinate cross-state matters through the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMK). [KMK]	Public/private mix; mixed governance combining national policy and standards with decentralized local education administration. The Ministry of Education operates at the national level, while 17 Metropolitan and Provincial Offices of Education oversee local education. [Korea MOE]
Governing Body	Länder ministries of education hold primary responsibility for schools and coordinate through the KMK. At federal level, the education portfolio is held by the Federal Ministry for Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMBFSFJ). [BMBFSFJ]	Ministry of Education (MOE); 17 Metropolitan and Provincial Offices of Education; and local Offices of Education. [Korea MOE]
Government Expenditure on Education (% of GDP)	5.2% of GDP in 2022, the latest value in the World Bank indicator sourced from UNESCO UIS. [World Bank]	5.4% (2022). [World Bank]

Education Structure & Compulsory Schooling

Germany and South Korea education system comparison: Education Structure & Compulsory Schooling
Category	Germany	South Korea
Compulsory Age Range	Compulsory schooling normally begins in the year a child turns 6. The end point varies by Land and pathway because full-time compulsory schooling may be followed by part-time vocational schooling requirements. [KMK]	Approximately age 6 to age 15, covering six years of elementary school and three years of middle school. [Korea MOE]
Total Compulsory Duration (Years)	9 years of full-time schooling in most Länder; 10 years in Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen and Thuringia, while North Rhine-Westphalia uses nine or ten depending on the program. For young people not attending full-time upper secondary education, part-time vocational schooling typically lasts another 3 years. [KMK]	9 years: 6 years of elementary education plus 3 years of middle school. [Korea MOE]
Pre-primary Education (ECE) Access	Optional; the participation rate for children aged 3 to under 6 was 95.0% on 1 March 2025. [Destatis]	Optional; enrollment among children aged 3–5 was 95.7% in 2023. [OECD]
Primary + Secondary Education Structure (Years)	Typically 4 + 5–6 + 2–3: primary school normally covers grades 1–4, followed by differentiated lower secondary pathways and upper secondary education. Primary school covers grades 1–6 in Berlin and Brandenburg. [KMK]	6 + 3 + 3: six years of elementary school, three years of middle school and three years of high school. The broader system is commonly described as 6-3-3-4 when the standard four-year university stage is included. [Korea MOE]
Vocational vs. General Upper Secondary Split (%)	—	14.9% Vocational / 85.1% General (2023). [OECD]

Academic Calendar & Instruction Time

Germany and South Korea education system comparison: Academic Calendar & Instruction Time
Category	Germany	South Korea
Academic Year Start (Typical Month)	August/September, depending on the Land.	March. The first semester begins in March. [Korea MOE]
Academic Year End (Typical Month)	June/July, depending on the Land.	February, following the second semester and winter vacation period. [Korea MOE]
Instruction Weeks per Year	Approximately 38 weeks, with calendars determined by the Länder.	—
Instruction Days per Year	About 188 teaching days on average, with variation between Länder and school calendars. [Eurydice]	At least 190 days per school year for elementary, middle and high schools, subject to limited statutory reductions in specified circumstances. [Korean Law]

Grading System

Germany and South Korea education system comparison: Grading System
Category	Germany	South Korea
Primary/Secondary Grading Scale	Commonly a 1–6 scale, where 1 is the highest grade and 6 is the lowest; practices can vary by Land and school level.	Assessment varies by school level. Middle-school achievement commonly uses A–E achievement levels. For students entering high school from 2025, the former nine-grade internal ranking system was replaced by a five-grade system under the 2028 university admissions changes. [Korea MOE]
Higher Education Grading Scale	Commonly 1.0–4.0 for passing grades, with 5.0 generally representing failure; institutions may use additional grading conventions.	Institution-specific; 4.5 and 4.3 GPA scales with letter grades are commonly used.

Language of Instruction

Germany and South Korea education system comparison: Language of Instruction
Category	Germany	South Korea
Primary Instruction Languages (K–12)	German	Korean is the main language of instruction in the national school system.
Other Official / Minority Instruction Languages (K–12)	Regional provision includes Danish, Sorbian and Frisian, with Low German also supported in relevant Länder.	—

School Provision & Access (K–12)

Germany and South Korea education system comparison: School Provision & Access (K–12)
Category	Germany	South Korea
Public School Enrollment Share (K–12, % of Students)	About 91% of students in general education schools attended public schools in 2023/24. [Destatis]	Primary: approximately 98% / Secondary: approximately 72% (2024). [World Bank] [World Bank]
Public School Tuition Fee (Annual, Local Currency)	$0 tuition at public general education schools.	$0 standard tuition for public elementary and middle education; nationwide free high-school education was extended to all grades from 2021, covering admission fees, tuition, school operation support fees and textbooks within the statutory scheme. [Korea MOE]
Public Schools Nationwide Availability	Yes. Public school provision is available nationwide and organized by the Länder and local authorities.	Yes. Public schools operate nationwide under the metropolitan, provincial and local education administration system. [Korea MOE]
Private School Enrollment Share (K–12, % of Students)	9% of students in general education schools attended private schools in 2023/24, totaling about 801,100 students. [Destatis]	Primary: approximately 2% / Secondary: approximately 28% (2024). [World Bank] [World Bank]
Private Schools (Geographic Concentration)	—	—

International Schools (K–12)

Germany and South Korea education system comparison: International Schools (K–12)
Category	Germany	South Korea
Number of International Schools (Total)	—	45 government-listed foreign/international K–12 institutions: 38 foreign schools, 3 foreign educational institutions at elementary/secondary level and 4 Jeju international schools. [ISI]
Number of IB World Schools	79 IB World Schools. [IB]	134 schools are listed by the International Baccalaureate school finder for the Republic of Korea. [IB]
Main International Programmes Offered	International Baccalaureate, Cambridge, American, French and other national or bilingual curricula, depending on the school.	International Baccalaureate (IB), American, British, Canadian and other authorized foreign curricula, depending on the school. [ISI]

Resources & Learning Environment (K–12)

Germany and South Korea education system comparison: Resources & Learning Environment (K–12)
Category	Germany	South Korea
Minimum Teacher Qualification (Public Schools)	Typically university-level Lehramt training, commonly a Master of Education or equivalent state-examination route, followed by preparatory service and a further state examination. Requirements vary by Land.	A recognized teacher qualification certificate is required. Standard Grade 2 regular-teacher routes are completed through approved university-level teacher education with prescribed major and teaching coursework; public-school recruitment also follows the applicable appointment process. [Korean Law]
Average Class Size (Primary)	21 students per primary class in the 2024/25 school year. [Destatis]	18.6 students (2026). [KEDI]
Average Class Size (Lower Secondary)	About 19–26 students depending on school type in 2024/25: 19 at Hauptschulen, 21 at schools with two educational pathways, 25 at Realschulen, 26 at Gymnasien and 24 at schools with three pathways. [Destatis]	24.5 students (2026). [KEDI]
Average Class Size (Upper Secondary)	—	23.1 students (2026). [KEDI]

System Performance & Learning Outcomes (OECD/PISA)

Germany and South Korea education system comparison: System Performance & Learning Outcomes (OECD/PISA)
Category	Germany	South Korea
PISA Participation Years	2000, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2022, 2025. [OECD]	2000, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2022, 2025. [OECD]
PISA 2018 Scores (Mathematics / Reading / Science)	500 / 498 / 503. [OECD]	526 / 514 / 519 [OECD]
PISA 2022 Scores (Mathematics / Reading / Science)	475 / 480 / 492. [OECD]	527 / 515 / 528 [OECD]
PISA 2025 Scores (Mathematics / Reading / Science)	464 / 465 / 486. The corresponding OECD averages were 463 in mathematics, 461 in reading and 482 in science. [OECD]	522 / 501 / 526 [OECD]
PISA Performance Trend 2000–2025	Germany’s 2025 averages were the lowest recorded for the country across its PISA participation in mathematics, reading and science. Compared with 2022, mathematics fell by 11 points and reading by 15 points, while the 7-point change in science was statistically about the same. The longer-term data show lower performance than the levels recorded around the early-to-mid 2010s. [OECD]	Korea has participated in every PISA cycle since 2000. Between 2022 and 2025, mathematics and science performance was about the same, while reading was lower. Compared with a decade earlier, mathematics and science were about the same in 2025, while reading was lower. [OECD]
Strongest Subject Area (PISA 2025)	Science (Score: 486), followed by reading at 465 and mathematics at 464. [OECD]	Science — 526 points. [OECD]

Higher Education System

Germany and South Korea education system comparison: Higher Education System
Category	Germany	South Korea
Number of Higher Education Institutions (Total)	421 higher education institutions in winter semester 2025/26. [Destatis]	416 higher education institutions (2026). [KEDI]
Number of Universities (Research Universities)	112 universities in winter semester 2025/26. [Destatis]	188 general universities in the official 2026 higher-education classification. [KEDI]
Number of Universities of Applied Sciences / Colleges	206 universities of applied sciences (Fachhochschulen), excluding a further 30 administrative universities of applied sciences, in winter semester 2025/26. [Destatis]	126 junior colleges (2026). [KEDI]
Main Institution Types	Universities; Universities of Applied Sciences (HAW/FH); pedagogical universities; theological universities; arts and music institutions; administrative universities of applied sciences.	General universities, universities of education, junior colleges, graduate-school universities, cyber universities and other specialized higher education institutions. [Korea MOE]
Tertiary Enrollment Share by Ownership	—	Public: 20.3% / independent private: 79.7% (2023). [OECD]
English-Taught Degree Programmes (Bachelor + Master, Total)	Nearly 2,400 English-taught degree programs were offered by state-recognized higher education institutions in summer 2025, including about 420 bachelor’s and 1,930 master’s programs. [DAAD]	—
Share of Tertiary Programmes Taught in National Languages (%)	—	—
Share of Tertiary Programmes Taught in English (%)	4% of bachelor’s programs and more than 18% of master’s programs were English-taught in summer 2025. [DAAD]	—
Main Global Ranking Used	QS World University Rankings 2027. [QS]	QS World University Rankings 2027. [QS]
Universities in Top 100 (Selected Ranking)	4 in the QS World University Rankings 2027: Technical University of Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Heidelberg University and Freie Universität Berlin. [QS]	4 in QS 2027: Seoul National University (#38), Yonsei University (#42), Korea University (#=52) and KAIST (#65). [QS]
Universities in Top 500 (Selected Ranking)	28 in the QS World University Rankings 2027. [QS]	17 South Korean universities are ranked within the top 500 in QS 2027. [QS]
Universities in Top 1000 (Selected Ranking)	—	31 South Korean universities are ranked within the top 1000 in QS 2027. [QS]
National Accreditation / QA Agency (Higher Education)	German Accreditation Council (Akkreditierungsrat), the joint institution of the Länder responsible for accreditation decisions covering study programs and higher education quality systems. [Accreditation Council]	Korean University Accreditation Institute (KUAI), affiliated with the Korean Council for University Education, is the recognized institutional accreditor for four-year universities. [KCUE]
International Students (Total)	Approximately 420,000 international students and doctoral candidates in winter semester 2025/26, based on the DAAD snapshot-survey projection. [DAAD]	307,464 foreign students in higher education (2026), including 223,191 degree students and 84,273 non-degree students. [KEDI]
International Students Share of Total Tertiary Enrollment (%)	12.7% in 2023 under the OECD’s internationally comparable tertiary-student definition. [OECD]	10.0% in 2026 (307,464 foreign students among 3,072,261 higher-education students). [KEDI]

Education Costs (Indicative)

Germany and South Korea education system comparison: Education Costs (Indicative)
Category	Germany	South Korea
Public University Tuition Fees – Domestic / Regional (Annual, Local Currency)	Typically $0 tuition for bachelor’s and most master’s programs at state higher education institutions; semester contributions still apply. [DAAD]	Approximately $3,180 average annual undergraduate tuition at national/public universities, based on the official national/public average of KRW 4,265,841.8. [Study in Korea]
Public University Tuition Fees – International / Non-EU (Annual, Local Currency)	Typically $0 tuition at many state institutions, but exceptions apply for some non-EU students in Baden-Württemberg and at selected institutions in Bavaria. [DAAD]	—
Typical Tuition Fees for English-Taught Programmes (Annual, Local Currency)	—	—
Language School Costs (Monthly, Local Currency)	—	—

Major Education Updates & Policy Changes

Germany and South Korea education system comparison: Major Education Updates & Policy Changes
Category	Germany	South Korea
2000–2010: Key Updates & Reforms	Following early PISA cycles, the Länder expanded the use of educational standards, comparative assessment and school quality monitoring. All-day schooling expanded across the Länder during the decade. Higher education continued the transition toward Bachelor’s and Master’s degree structures associated with the Bologna Process.	Universal compulsory middle-school education: Compulsory middle-school education, introduced regionally from 1985, was extended to all three middle-school grades nationwide in 2004. [Korea MOE] National Education Information System: NEIS became a nationwide digital system linking education administration across schools, education offices and the Ministry during the 2000s. [Korea MOE] Second-stage BK21: The second phase of Brain Korea 21 began in 2006, funding graduate education and university research teams through 2012. [Korea MOE]
2010–2020: Key Updates & Reforms	Vocational education and training remained a major upper secondary pathway, combining school-based and workplace learning. School digital infrastructure and digital teaching programs expanded across the Länder. Coordination between the Länder continued through common educational standards and cross-state qualification agreements.	Nuri Curriculum: A national common early-childhood curriculum for ages 3–5 was implemented in 2013. [Korea MOE] Free Semester: After pilot implementation beginning in 2013, the test-free Free Semester programme was extended to all middle schools in 2016. [OECD] Software education: Compulsory software education began in first-year middle schools in 2018 and was extended to elementary schools from 2019 under the 2015 revised curriculum. [Korea MOE]
2020–2024: Key Updates & Reforms	The Startchancen Programme began in the 2024/25 school year with a ten-year term and support for about 4,000 general and vocational schools. [BMBFSFJ] The first DigitalPakt Schule period supported school digital infrastructure and equipment across Germany. Federal-state programs continued to support school infrastructure, teaching development and access to digital learning resources.	Free high-school education: The nationwide rollout reached all high-school grades in 2021. [Korea MOE] 2022 Revised National Curriculum: The revised curriculum was finalized in 2022 and began phased implementation with elementary grades 1–2 in 2024, followed by additional grades from 2025. [Korea MOE] Neulbom School: The after-school education and care programme expanded to all elementary schools nationwide in the second semester of 2024. [Korea MOE]
2025–2026: Key Updates & Reforms	A legal entitlement to all-day education and care began on 1 August 2026 for children entering first grade, with phased expansion to grades 1–4 by the 2029/30 school year. [BMBFSFJ] DigitalPakt 2.0 took effect on 1 September 2026, providing €5 billion in federal and Länder funding for school digital education over five years. [BMBFSFJ] The Startchancen Programme had just over 4,000 participating schools as implementation continued across the Länder. [BMBFSFJ]	High School Credit System: The system was fully introduced for new high-school students in 2025. From the 2026 school year, credit-completion rules were adjusted so elective subjects use the attendance requirement without the previous minimum achievement threshold. [Korea MOE] AI education materials: The Ministry's 2026 plan expanded support for AI-based educational materials and AI-focused schools while allowing schools to select teaching materials according to their needs. [Korea MOE] University AI curricula: In 2026, the Ministry selected 20 universities for a new programme supporting general AI curricula for students across academic fields. [Korea MOE]

General Overview (Narrative)

Germany and South Korea education system comparison: General Overview (Narrative)
Category	Germany	South Korea
Overview	Germany operates a federal, decentralized education system in which the 16 Länder hold primary responsibility for school organization, curricula and examinations, while the KMK coordinates cross-state standards and recognition. Compulsory full-time schooling begins around age 6 and normally lasts nine years, or ten in several Länder, with part-time vocational schooling requirements applying afterward to some pathways. General education is predominantly public, with about 91% of students in public schools in 2023/24. Germany also maintains a large vocational sector centered on the dual system of workplace and school-based training. In PISA 2025, Germany scored 464 in mathematics, 465 in reading and 486 in science; science was the highest-scoring domain. Higher education comprised 421 institutions in winter semester 2025/26, while state-recognized institutions offered nearly 2,400 English-taught degree programs in summer 2025. Current changes include the phased legal entitlement to all-day primary-school care from August 2026 and DigitalPakt 2.0 from September 2026.	South Korea uses a 6-3-3-4 education structure with national policy led by the Ministry of Education and local administration carried out through 17 Metropolitan and Provincial Offices of Education and their local offices. Elementary and middle school provide nine years of compulsory education, while free high-school education has applied nationwide across all grades since 2021. The school year begins in March, and elementary, middle and high schools normally provide at least 190 instructional days. Korean is the main language of instruction. The system includes general and vocational high-school pathways, with vocational programmes accounting for 14.9% of upper-secondary enrollment in 2023. In PISA 2025, Korea scored 522 in mathematics, 501 in reading and 526 in science, with science recording the highest of the three scores. Higher education included 416 institutions in 2026, while the number of foreign students reached 307,464. Current school changes include the High School Credit System, the five-grade high-school internal ranking system for cohorts entering from 2025 and revised credit-completion rules from 2026. The Ministry is also expanding AI-related teaching support in schools and funding general AI curricula at selected universities.