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How do you choose a degree when you can’t predict which skills will matter in five years? Dr. Andrés Antolín Hofrichter studied history, philosophy and economics. Today he is an academic director at IU International University of Applied Sciences. He shares practical advice for students, career changers and lifelong learners.

Dr. Andrés Antolín Hofrichter...

is Academic Director International and Academic Manager CSE at IU, where he is responsible for teaching and faculty in the International On-Campus Format. He joined IU in 2021. He holds a PhD from the University of Freiburg, and his academic career includes positions at the University of Zurich, LMU Munich and EWA Madrid. He specializes in international higher education management.

What a degree is actually worth in Germany

More income, fewer job worries: what the data says about a degree in Germany.

Dr. Andrés Antolín Hofrichter makes a clear case in the episode: a degree is worth the effort. Here are the numbers behind that argument.

More income. According to the OECD (the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, which collects comparable education and income data for 38 countries), people in Germany with a University degree earn about 50% more on average than people whose highest qualification is upper secondary level, such as an apprenticeship. The OECD average is 54%, so Germany is close to the international norm. For example, starting salaries for Bachelor’s graduates in Computer Science average around €45,100, while experienced professionals can expect between €59,500 and €66,500.

Every level counts. A master's adds even more: Master's graduates have significantly higher employment rates and earnings than bachelor's graduates. If you're drawn to science, technology, engineering or maths, the OECD finds earnings prospects to be particularly strong.

Fewer job worries. Graduates in Germany have rarely been out of work. According to the German Federal Employment Agency, their unemployment rate was 3.3% in 2025. Since reunification it has usually stayed below 4%, and from 2007 to 2024 it stayed under 3% every single year. Even in weak economic times, it remained very low.

What this means for you. A degree is no guarantee, but the odds are clearly in your favour. You'll get the most out of it with a programme that fits your goals and combines theory with practice. Curious which one that could be? Explore IU's degrees in Germany.

Why higher education matters: It's not just theory

Your professors have worked in the real world, and that is no coincidence. How applied study programmes connect classroom and career.

University is all theory, and real life only starts after graduation? Dr. Andrés Antolín Hofrichter busts that myth in the episode, and Germany's system backs him up. There is even a rule behind it.

Your professors have worked outside university. By law. At German universities of applied sciences, professors can't be hired on research alone. They typically need a doctorate and at least five years of professional experience, three of them outside higher education. Bavaria, Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia all apply this rule. So the person teaching you marketing, logistics or data analytics has professional experience in the respective area.

Skills outlast facts. Facts get outdated. What lasts is knowing how to think. Employers surveyed by the World Economic Forum rank analytical thinking as the most important core skill, and around seven in ten call it essential. Curiosity and a love of learning are on the list too.

Staying current is part of the job. Professional experience doesn't stay fresh on its own, and a field can change faster than a textbook. That is why German accredited degree programmes are reviewed from the outside on a fixed cycle: every programme has to be accredited, and that approval has to be renewed every eight years, with content, modules and exam formats reviewed along the way. In between, it comes down to the teaching staff. Lecturers who still consult, work on company projects or sit on industry panels notice a shift in their field years before it reaches a curriculum, and they bring it into the next semester's seminar.

Theory tells you why. Practice shows you how. A good degree does both.

Higher education in the age of AI

Every German university sets its own AI rules, while the job market pushes in one direction.

AI is challenging universities to change faster than they were built to, says Andrés Antolín Hofrichter in the episode. What does that look like in practice? It depends on where you study.

What that looks like in practice. Some universities require students to label any use of AI in written work, others mainly publish advice for lecturers. At universities of applied sciences, it is usually the lecturers who decide whether AI is allowed or banned in their course. Where no specific rule exists, general exam law applies: using undisclosed or unauthorised aids counts as cheating, and the examiner usually has the final say. Here at IU, we want to prepare our students as best as possible for their future careers. AI is already an integral part of our lives, which is why we want to actively train our students to make the best possible use of AI tools.

Why more universities are opening up: The job market is moving. Employers surveyed by the World Economic Forum expect 39% of workers' core skills to change by 2030. AI and big data skills are on the rise, alongside analytical thinking, creative thinking, resilience and flexibility. The idea behind opening up: education should teach skills graduates can apply directly on the job, including the safe and responsible use of AI.

Every university sets its own AI rules. The direction doesn't: AI skills are becoming part of what a degree is for.