Germany is moving on up for international students
10 September 2025
Andrew Crisp examines the latest Business of Branding data which found Germany passing the USA as a preferred study destination.
In 20 years of CarringtonCrisp’s Business of Branding study, the UK and USA have consistently been the top two destinations considered by international students looking for a business degree. Australia and Canada have often been third and fourth. In the latest report, being published towards the end of September, Germany is the second choice, with the USA pushed down to third.
So why the change? For many, the answer will be the policies of the Trump government, and undoubtedly, they have played a part. When you try to stop Harvard from taking international students, the message to the rest of the world is pretty clear, but that’s not the whole story. More significant, is a sense that studying in the USA has become very expensive.
In the Business of Branding study, respondents are asked for their views on eight statements that might be associated with a country. Almost three-quarters (74%) think the USA is an expensive place to study, 69% have the same view of the UK, but only 58% think that way about Germany. Much of the thinking about where to study is based on outcome, and ROI is an important part of that.
More prospective students think Germany has a strong and dynamic economy and offers opportunities to work after graduation than they do for both the USA and the UK. The differences are small, but as part of a package, the message is clear that Germany has a strong overall offer for business students.
Other differences are more notable. Two-thirds (66%) believe it is easy to get a visa for study in Germany, 57% have the same view about the UK, but only 49% for the USA. Three-quarters (75%) say Germany has been recommended to them by a friend, while only 69% have the same view about the UK and 63% about the USA.
Despite tightening rules around visas in the UK and messages to international students to not overstay their visas from the relevant government department, the UK is still most likely to be considered welcoming to international students (80% agree) and attractive to international students (85% agree). Germany is considered both welcoming and attractive by 76% of the survey respondents, while the USA is considered attractive by 74% but welcoming by only 59%.
For German business schools, there is an opportunity to build on these perceptions among prospective students and grow international enrolments. However, there is also ongoing and growing competition from other parts of the world to recruit international students, notably in the Middle East and India. The key for German schools is to turn perception into reality, using alumni success stories to build 'brand Germany’s' reputation for future students.