Press release of the Saxon State Ministry of Science, Culture and Tourism

Today, Saxony’s Minister of Science, Sebastian Gemkow, and Prof. Dr. Karl Lenz as project manager of the Competence Center for Education and University Research (KfBH) of TU Dresden presented the results of the 3rd Saxon Graduate Study.

Sebastian Gemkow: "An important result of the study is that – also in retrospect – the graduates are extremely satisfied with the quality of their studies at a Saxon university. With high student numbers, these already high values have increased further. Equally important is the fact that the so-called sticking effect of the studies is effective: Students who study in Saxony, regardless of where they come from, are happy to stay for their jobs. Our universities are thus training urgently needed, skilled workers for Saxony!"

Prof. Dr. Karl Lenz: "After the 2006/07 and 2010/2011 graduation groups, the 3rd Graduate Study now provides detailed data on career entry in Saxony for the third group of graduates. Since the first two groups have completed the study once again, the information on career development covered the period of eleven and six years respectively after graduation. No other federal state has comparably extensive data on career entry and progression. The Saxon Graduate Study is therefore highly informative. This is also bolstered by the very high response rate to the questionnaires, which, in the two follow-up surveys, was over 50 and 70 percent respectively."

Most important insights of the study:

• The quality of the study was positively assessed from above: the participants rated the organization of the degree program, teaching, organization of examinations, specialist support and advice, the rooms, the technical equipment and the social climate even higher than in the previous years.
• The study program offers more than professional competence: The first two graduate studies already showed that the alumni, in their own assessment, have a high degree of self-learning competence, scientific expertise, as well as organizational and communication skills. The current results confirm this and show a slight increase at this high level, although leadership skills are not taught to the extent required later in the profession.
• Student mobility abroad is declining: only 13 percent of the students in the 2015/16 group also studied abroad. In the oldest group, 18 percent studied abroad. It would seem that shorter studies and regular, ongoing examinations have a negative impact on the possibility of spending part of the study period abroad.
• Education in Saxony for Saxony: Almost 60 percent of students stay in Saxony for their first job - three quarters of all graduates from Saxony start their first job here. Compared to the two previous studies, this proportion has risen significantly. But the so-called sticking effect of the studies should not be underestimated either: 39 percent of those who came to Saxony for the first time to study also begin their employment here.
• Career entry has clearly improved: young academics quickly find a job after completing their studies. If the period of 24 months after graduation is considered, there is only a very low unemployment rate of under 2 percent across all subject groups. The large majority of graduates are satisfied or very satisfied with their current employment.
• Income increases: The average gross income of a full-time job is around 4,800 euros eleven to twelve years after graduation according to the 2006/07 group, and 4,200 euros after six to seven years according to the 2010/11 group. In both cases, the average income has risen significantly over time.
• Women earn less regardless of their choice of subjects: The gender pay gap is 25 percent in the 2006/07 group and 18 percent in the 2010/11 group. Women earn less in all subject groups.
• Around 85 percent have permanent contracts: The majority of those questioned find employment without a fixed-term contract as soon as they have successfully completed their first job. From the 2006/07 group, 13 percent are currently still employed with fixed-term contracts and 18 percent still have a fixed-term contract in the younger group.

Saxon graduate studies:

Following the 2010 and 2015 surveys, the results of the 3rd Saxon Graduate Study will be presented this year. The study, funded by the Saxon Ministry of Science and carried out by the Competence Center for Education and University Research (KfBH) of TU Dresden, covers several graduate groups from all state universities and universities of applied sciences in Saxony. The 3rd graduate study included: the 2015/16 group within the scope of an initial survey and the 2010/11 and 2006/07 groups within the scope of (first and second) follow-up surveys. Each group comprises all students who successfully complete their studies in the given academic year, i.e. from the beginning of the winter semester to the end of the summer semester. In addition, the 3rd Saxon Graduate Study included a special survey on teaching professions; these results were already presented in summer 2019. A response rate of 74 percent was achieved for the older group and 56 percent for the younger group. Thus, around 1,500 and 4,100 questionnaires could be evaluated.

The detailed press release and publications on the initial survey and the follow-up surveys: https://tu-dresden.de/zqa/forschung/Forschungsprojekte/saechsische-absolventenstudie

Media Enquiries:
Prof. Dr. Karl Lenz
TU Dresden
Director of the Centre for Quality Analysis (ZQA)
Tel.: +49 351 - 46 33 97 30