NARIC guide on Higher Education Systems in the European Union

Institution of higher education existing in two Länder combining functions of the universities, Fachhochschulen and, in some
cases, colleges of art and music. They offer courses of study of varying duration and leading to different degrees.
Gesamtschule
Comprehensive school existing in two forms: the cooperative comprehensive school combines the schools of the tradional
tripartite system under one roof and harmonises the curricula in order to facilitate the transfer of pupils between the different
coexisting types; the integrated comprehensive school admits all pupils of a certain age without differentiating between the
traditional school types.
Grundschule
Primary school marks the beginning of compulsory education, to which all children go together once they have reached the
age of six (in general grades one to four). The aim of the primary school is to provide its pupils with the basis for their
continuing education at the lower level of secondary education.
Gymnasiale Oberstufe
Upper level of the Gymnasium (normally grades 11 to 13) providing general university entrance qualification by the final
examination (Abiturprüfung).
Gymnasium
General education secondary school (normally grades 5 to 13) providing general university entrance qualification. See also
Allgemeine Hochschulreife.
Hauptschule
General education secondary school — lower level — providing full-time compulsory education.
Kolleg
Institute of general education offering day school courses for adults with work experience and the possibility to acquire the
Allgemeine Hochschulreife.
Kunsthochschule/Musikhochschule
College of art/College of music.
Mittelschule
General education secondary school (grades 5 to 10) in Saxony providing different courses of education and the possibility to
acquire the Hauptschule certificate or the Realschule certificate. From grade seven, compulsory subjects are taught in class at
two different levels according to the curricula and the intended final examination of the Hauptschule (after grade nine) or the
Realschule (after grade 10).
Orientierungsstufe
Grades five and six may be organised as an orientational stage during which the decision on a particular school type is left
open. In some Länder the orientation stage may be a separate organisational unit independent of the standard school types, for
which the starting grade is seven.
Pädagogische Hochschule
Teacher training college which only exists in five Länder where teachers are trained for careers in primary and lower
secondary as well as in special education. In the other Länder courses for the abovementioned teaching careers are offered by
universities, Gesamthochschulen and colleges of art and music.
Realschule
General education secondary school — lower level, normally grades 5 to 10 — going beyond the level of the Hauptschule and
giving access to upper secondary education where a higher education entrance qualification or a vocational qualification may
be obtained.
Regelschule