Rankings

Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt most popular university in Germany

The Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt (KU) has been awarded the title "Most Popular University in Germany 2021" by the student portal Studycheck.de. It is one of the online portals with the widest reach in the field of universities and studies in Germany and publishes evaluations of students and alumni on their degree programs. Once a year, the portal uses various parameters to calculate a ranking of universities and higher education institutions according to popularity and satisfaction ratings. In 2019 and 2020, the KU already made it among the top ten of all German universities – last year it took fourth place. In the current ranking, which was published on February 24, the KU now takes first place among all universities; in the overall ranking that also includes other types of higher education institutions, it ranks second.

The Bavarian Minister of Science, Bernd Sibler, congratulates the KU on its success in the current ranking: "The Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt can be very, very proud of the excellent feedback it received from its students.


The vote of its own students is a special, meaningful orientation for every university. Congratulations on this beautiful confirmation of the excellent work!”

Evaluations by students and alumni, which were published on Studycheck.de last year, are included in the calculation of the ranking. According to Studycheck.de, the ranking is based on the evaluations of more than 43,000 users for more than 500 higher education institutions and universities. The portal currently lists more than 500 testimonials on the KU. 

Among other things, students could award grades for the study conditions, the quality of the courses, the facilities and equipment and the campus. The students were particularly satisfied with the quality of the lecturers; the survey participants gave the KU’s teaching staff 4.4 stars out of a possible 5. The University Library's service offer also received particular praise. 98 percent of those students who participated in the ranking would recommend studying at the KU to others. The latest survey also asked students to rate the University's crisis management during the corona pandemic.

"Surely there is no better praise for a university than almost 100 percent of students and alumni agreeing: I can only recommend studying at the KU! This is why we are very pleased with the ranking’s outcome, because it expresses the high level of satisfaction of our students", says KU President Prof. Dr. Gabriele Gien. The lecturers and also the University Management basically maintain a close and trusting exchange with the students. "They are also welcome to approach us – just as they do with the Studycheck portal – if something is not running smoothly. We can then search for a solution together. This valuable cooperation on campus is the KU's recipe for success.”

With the current award, the KU continuously confirms good results obtained in other surveys: For example, the KU's subjects regularly occupy top positions in the nationwide university rankings of the Center for Higher Education Development (CHE). The graduate survey conducted by the Bavarian State Institute for Higher Education Research and Planning also showed that the KU's former students are satisfied with the study conditions at the KU above average.

Further information on the Studycheck ranking is available at www.studycheck.de/hochschulranking/beliebteste-universitaeten

 

Virtual Open Day on April 17, 2021

Those who want to find out more about the KU can visit its digital study information day on Saturday, April 17. This will provide an opportunity for direct interaction with students and lecturers to learn about the wide range of studies offered at the KU. The detailed program will be available shortly at www.ku.de/infotag.

 

Interview with KU President Prof. Dr. Gabriele Gien

What is the significance of the award from the online portal Studycheck for the KU?

Gien: "Surely there is no better praise for a university than almost 100 percent of students and alumni agreeing: I can only recommend studying at the KU! And we know from experience: They not only say so, but they really do. Many students who join us for their studies are here because the KU was recommended by friends or family. I am very happy about this award because it shows the high rate of satisfaction of our students. The praise we received in the evaluations covers all categories. The KU has been known for its beautiful campus and the excellent staff-to-student ratio for a while. Now, it makes me - as the University’s President - very happy to hear that a vast majority has also highly praised the quality of the teaching practice. In the future, our task will be to also convince the remaining two percent who did not want to recommend the KU...

Are these evaluations important for your work?

Gien: I have to admit that I have been visiting the Studycheck websites repeatedly in the past – also before we were elected to the top ten. Of course, the University Management wants to know: How is our study offer received among students? Are they happy with the organization? There is no need to mention that we also get feedback from other sources: Our lecturers maintain close and trusting contact with our students. Also the University Management is in continuous dialogue with student representatives in the University committees. Students are welcome to approach us if something is not running smoothly and we are grateful for their feedback – we can then search for solutions together. However, some people are more frank and honest when they have the opportunity to submit their opinion anonymously; or maybe they only have the courage to do so at all if they do not have to give their names. This is why we also conduct surveys on our courses ourselves on a regular basis or have the students submit their opinion in the context of the study quality monitor. Instruments like these are particularly valuable and important when it comes to reflecting on our own actions and wanting to use the opportunity to improve.

The corona pandemic has turned the regular teaching practice upside down – still, the KU managed to obtain very good results in this ranking....

Gien: The KU is particularly characterized by the close and trusting atmosphere and good collaboration on campus. The friendly and open encounters are the KU’s recipe for success. And this is right where the limitations imposed by social distancing measures have hit us. Most students and lecturers miss their usual campus life dearly – our newly enrolled students did not even have the chance to experience it properly at all. This is why we have to improvise and make every effort to maintain the University’s sense of community – by using digital aids, small presentation formats that are implemented responsibly and a lot of communication work. Corona triggered an enormous digitalization boost in the teaching practice at our University. In this process as well, we maintained close dialogue with our students and involved them in the development process on an ongoing basis.