Saxony continues to dominate the annual education ranking conducted by INSM, maintaining the top spot for the 20th consecutive year. Following Saxony are Bavaria, Hamburg, Baden-Württemberg, and Thuringia, while Saxony-Anhalt, North Rhine-Westphalia, Brandenburg and Bremen are at the bottom of the ranking. The study was conducted by the German Economic Institute (IW) on behalf of INSM and evaluated 98 indicators across 13 key areas of educational performance, making it the most comprehensive annual comparative study of education in Germany.
The INSM study examines a wide range of educational factors, including school quality, educational opportunities, and integration, while also considering economic outcomes such as contributions to workforce development and regional growth. Indicators include school dropout rates, the availability of all-day childcare, and the proportion of students affected by lack of educational opportunities. Most data are drawn from 2023 and 2024, providing a recent and detailed snapshot of the performance of Germany’s federal states.
Despite increased investments in education and improvements in school infrastructure since 2013, the study finds that results in key areas such as school quality, educational opportunities, and educational equity have deteriorated. Axel Plünnecke, study director and educational economist at the IW, noted, “The results of the last twelve years show that increasing education spending and better student-teacher ratios alone are not enough to ensure quality in the school system. The challenges in school quality and lack of educational opportunities have grown significantly.”
Saxony remains the leader in multiple areas. The state has the highest proportion of daycare staff with university degrees and demonstrates the highest reading proficiency among ninth-grade students. Saxony also leads in the percentage of foreign school graduates who achieve a university entrance qualification. However, challenges remain: the Free State has the worst child-to-caregiver ratio in daycare centers, meaning each childcare worker is responsible for more children than in other regions.
Saxony’s Education Minister, Conrad Clemens, commented on the ranking, “Saxony stands at the top of the INSM Education Monitor for the 20th consecutive time. Compared to last year, we have further improved our results. This achievement is thanks to our consistent commitment to the best education and, above all, our dedicated teachers.” Clemens emphasized that Saxony will not rest on its laurels, highlighting the long-term project "Educational State Saxony 2030," designed to further improve the quality of the education system and provide all children and youth with the best learning opportunities.
The study also highlights widespread public support for educational reforms based on empirical evidence. A survey conducted alongside the INSM report revealed that 42% of respondents are dissatisfied with the general education system in their state. Parents with school-age children largely favor measures such as mandatory language testing at age four (71.1%), increased autonomy for schools (67%), annual standardized performance assessments to improve quality (65.6%), and the introduction of anonymized student IDs (55.6%).
INSM Managing Director Thorsten Alsleben stressed, “Saxony demonstrates that continuous improvement is possible. Yet, overall, it is alarming that educational standards in Germany have been declining for years. Our survey shows that the public wants a shift in education policy, including mandatory early language assessments, more school autonomy, and standardized performance comparisons.”
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