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Germany vs Turkey (Comparing Education Systems 2026)

Explore full profiles:🏫 Germany Education System🏫 Turkey Education System
Updated: September 12, 2026 View update notes
Turkey – Country Data: Refreshed Türkiye’s PISA profile with 2025 scores and a revised long-term performance summary.
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 Turkey.

Education System Overview

Germany and Turkey education system comparison: Education System Overview
CategoryGermanyTurkey
System TypePublic-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; Governance model: Centralized, with national education policy, curricula and major regulations administered primarily through the Ministry of National Education.
Governing BodyLänder 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 National Education (MEB) for school education and the Council of Higher Education (CoHE / YÖK) for higher education.
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]3.1% of GDP (2022, latest value in the World Bank indicator sourced from UNESCO UIS). [World Bank]

Education Structure & Compulsory Schooling

Germany and Turkey education system comparison: Education Structure & Compulsory Schooling
CategoryGermanyTurkey
Compulsory Age RangeCompulsory 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 18, covering 12 years of compulsory schooling.
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]12 years
Pre-primary Education (ECE) AccessOptional; the participation rate for children aged 3 to under 6 was 95.0% on 1 March 2025. [Destatis]Optional; the adjusted net enrollment rate for ages 3–5 was 49.63% in 2024/25. [MEB]
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]4 + 4 + 4 (Primary + Lower Secondary + Upper Secondary).
Vocational vs. General Upper Secondary Split (%)——

Academic Calendar & Instruction Time

Germany and Turkey education system comparison: Academic Calendar & Instruction Time
CategoryGermanyTurkey
Academic Year Start (Typical Month)August/September, depending on the Land.September
Academic Year End (Typical Month)June/July, depending on the Land.June
Instruction Weeks per YearApproximately 38 weeks, with calendars determined by the Länder.36 weeks
Instruction Days per YearAbout 188 teaching days on average, with variation between Länder and school calendars. [Eurydice]180 days in the 2025/26 school year.

Grading System

Germany and Turkey education system comparison: Grading System
CategoryGermanyTurkey
Primary/Secondary Grading ScaleCommonly a 1–6 scale, where 1 is the highest grade and 6 is the lowest; practices can vary by Land and school level.A 0–100 scale is commonly used in secondary education; primary-level assessment also incorporates competency and developmental evaluation.
Higher Education Grading ScaleCommonly 1.0–4.0 for passing grades, with 5.0 generally representing failure; institutions may use additional grading conventions.Commonly 0–100 and/or 4.0 GPA systems depending on the institution, with ECTS used for credit recognition and transfer.

Language of Instruction

Germany and Turkey education system comparison: Language of Instruction
CategoryGermanyTurkey
Primary Instruction Languages (K–12)GermanTurkish
Other Official / Minority Instruction Languages (K–12)Regional provision includes Danish, Sorbian and Frisian, with Low German also supported in relevant Länder.Greek and Armenian may be used in relevant minority schools alongside Turkish; other living languages and dialects can be offered through approved elective courses. [MEB Eurydice]

School Provision & Access (K–12)

Germany and Turkey education system comparison: School Provision & Access (K–12)
CategoryGermanyTurkey
Public School Enrollment Share (K–12, % of Students)About 91% of students in general education schools attended public schools in 2023/24. [Destatis]90.9% among students enrolled in public or private formal schools in 2024/25. [MEB]
Public School Tuition Fee (Annual, Local Currency)$0 tuition at public general education schools.$0 tuition for public primary and secondary schooling.
Public Schools Nationwide AvailabilityYes. Public school provision is available nationwide and organized by the Länder and local authorities.Yes, with public schools operating nationwide.
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]9.1% among students enrolled in public or private formal schools in 2024/25. [MEB]
Private Schools (Geographic Concentration)——

International Schools (K–12)

Germany and Turkey education system comparison: International Schools (K–12)
CategoryGermanyTurkey
Number of International Schools (Total)—261 international schools under the official classification for 2023/24. [MEB Eurydice]
Number of IB World Schools79 IB World Schools. [IB]127 schools in the current IB directory for Türkiye. [IB]
Main International Programmes OfferedInternational Baccalaureate, Cambridge, American, French and other national or bilingual curricula, depending on the school.IB, Cambridge International, American and other international curricula, depending on school authorization and program.

Resources & Learning Environment (K–12)

Germany and Turkey education system comparison: Resources & Learning Environment (K–12)
CategoryGermanyTurkey
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.An eligible Bachelor’s-level degree for the teaching field, followed by the applicable public recruitment process. The current system includes MEB-AGS selection and preparatory training through the National Education Academy. [MEB]
Average Class Size (Primary)21 students per primary class in the 2024/25 school year. [Destatis]20.6 students (2023). [OECD]
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]28 students in public schools / 13 students in private schools (2023). [OECD]
Average Class Size (Upper Secondary)——

System Performance & Learning Outcomes (OECD/PISA)

Germany and Turkey education system comparison: System Performance & Learning Outcomes (OECD/PISA)
CategoryGermanyTurkey
PISA Participation Years2000, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2022, 2025. [OECD]2003, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2022, 2025. [OECD]
PISA 2018 Scores (Mathematics / Reading / Science)500 / 498 / 503. [OECD]454 / 466 / 468. [OECD]
PISA 2022 Scores (Mathematics / Reading / Science)475 / 480 / 492. [OECD]453 / 456 / 476. [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]462 / 472 / 494. Türkiye scored close to the OECD average in mathematics and above the OECD averages in reading and science. [OECD]
PISA Performance Trend 2000–2025Germany’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]Türkiye’s 2025 results were higher than in 2022 in mathematics, reading and science. OECD reports that Türkiye was among the few participating systems to improve in all three domains between 2022 and 2025, extending the positive trend recorded in previous cycles. [OECD]
Strongest Subject Area (PISA 2025)Science (Score: 486), followed by reading at 465 and mathematics at 464. [OECD]Science (Score: 494), followed by reading at 472 and mathematics at 462. [OECD]

Higher Education System

Germany and Turkey education system comparison: Higher Education System
CategoryGermanyTurkey
Number of Higher Education Institutions (Total)421 higher education institutions in winter semester 2025/26. [Destatis]208 higher education institutions in 2025, comprising 129 state universities, 75 foundation universities and 4 foundation vocational schools. [CoHE]
Number of Universities (Research Universities)112 universities in winter semester 2025/26. [Destatis]23 designated research universities. [CoHE]
Number of Universities of Applied Sciences / Colleges206 universities of applied sciences (Fachhochschulen), excluding a further 30 administrative universities of applied sciences, in winter semester 2025/26. [Destatis]—
Main Institution TypesUniversities; Universities of Applied Sciences (HAW/FH); pedagogical universities; theological universities; arts and music institutions; administrative universities of applied sciences.State universities; foundation universities; foundation vocational schools; vocational schools operating within universities.
Tertiary Enrollment Share by Ownership——
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 UsedQS 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]0 in the QS World University Rankings 2027. [QS]
Universities in Top 500 (Selected Ranking)28 in the QS World University Rankings 2027. [QS]6 in the QS World University Rankings 2027. [QS]
Universities in Top 1000 (Selected Ranking)—11 in the QS World University Rankings 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]Turkish Higher Education Quality Council (YÖKAK). [YÖKAK]
International Students (Total)Approximately 420,000 international students and doctoral candidates in winter semester 2025/26, based on the DAAD snapshot-survey projection. [DAAD]352,271 international students (January 2025). [CoHE]
International Students Share of Total Tertiary Enrollment (%)12.7% in 2023 under the OECD’s internationally comparable tertiary-student definition. [OECD]4.3% in 2023 under the OECD international/foreign student measure. [OECD]

Education Costs (Indicative)

Germany and Turkey education system comparison: Education Costs (Indicative)
CategoryGermanyTurkey
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]Typically $0 for eligible students enrolled in a first standard public higher-education program within state-covered conditions; contribution fees can apply in specified cases.
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 Turkey education system comparison: Major Education Updates & Policy Changes
CategoryGermanyTurkey
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.
  • Türkiye joined the Bologna Process in 2001, followed by higher-education changes involving ECTS, degree recognition and European Higher Education Area alignment. [CoHE]
  • Curriculum development and renewal work began in 2005 and subsequently covered primary and secondary programs. [MEB]
  • The FATİH Project was launched on 22 November 2010 to expand the use of digital technology in schools. [MEB]
    • 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.
  • In 2012, compulsory schooling was extended to 12 years under the 4+4+4 structure.
  • The EBA digital education platform became part of the national school technology system, expanding digital learning resources for teachers and students. [MEB]
  • Revised curricula covering 51 programs were announced in 2017, with implementation beginning across selected grade levels in the 2017/18 school year. [MEB]
    • 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.
  • Nationwide remote education through EBA and TRT EBA began on 23 March 2020 during school closures. [MEB]
  • The Türkiye Yüzyılı Maarif Modeli curriculum programs began phased implementation in 2024/25 in pre-primary education and grades 1, 5 and 9, with preparatory classes included at upper-secondary level. [MEB]
  • The Teacher Profession Law No. 7528, adopted in October 2024, established the National Education Academy and revised provisions governing teacher preparation and the teaching profession. [MEB]
    • 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]
  • The phased Türkiye Yüzyılı Maarif Modeli rollout extended to grades 2, 6 and 10 in the 2025/26 school year. [MEB]
  • The first National Education Academy teacher-candidate preparatory training cycle began on 13 April 2026. [MEB]
  • For 2026/27, the curriculum model extends through grades 1–3 in primary education and grades 5–7 in lower secondary education. [MEB]

    • General Overview (Narrative)

    Germany and Turkey education system comparison: General Overview (Narrative)
    CategoryGermanyTurkey
    OverviewGermany 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.Türkiye operates a centralized education system, with school education overseen by the Ministry of National Education and higher education coordinated by the Council of Higher Education. Compulsory schooling covers approximately ages 6–18 and follows the 4+4+4 structure of primary, lower secondary and upper secondary education. In 2024/25, private schools enrolled 9.1% of students attending public or private formal schools, while public schools accounted for the remaining 90.9%. Pre-primary education is optional, with a 49.63% adjusted net enrollment rate for ages 3–5. Türkiye participated in PISA from 2003 onward and scored 462 in mathematics, 472 in reading and 494 in science in PISA 2025. OECD reported higher results than in 2022 across all three domains. Higher education included 208 institutions in 2025 and 352,271 international students as of January 2025. Recent changes include the phased rollout of the Türkiye Yüzyılı Maarif Modeli and the start of teacher-candidate preparatory training through the National Education Academy in 2026.

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