| German term | English term | Meaning | Additional info |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hochschule | Higher education institution | A general term for all higher education institutions, i.e. all three university types | Colloquially, Hochschule is often used to talk about UAS only |
| Universität (Uni) | (Research driven) university | Term for one of the three university types: More theory-driven university | Colloquially, Uni is often used as a general term to talk about all university types |
| Technische Universität (TU) | Technical university | Sub-type of a research-driven university: Focus on the STEM subject group | Check out this article to learn more about technical universities in Germany |
| Pädagogische Hochschulen (PH) | Sub-type of the University of applied sciences: Focus on the STEM subject group | Sub-type of a research-driven university: Focus on educational and pedagogical subjects | Many PHs were integrated into regular universities. Today, you find PHs in the state of Baden-Württemberg |
| Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaften (HAW)/Fachhochschule (FH) | University of applied sciences (UAS) | University of Education | Both terms are used interchangeably. HAW was introduced to reflect the equality of UAS and universities after the Bologna reforms in 1999 |
| Technische Hochschulen (TH) | Technical university of applied sciences | Sub-type of the University of Applied Sciences: Focus on the STEM subject group | The RWTH Aachen is a research-driven university but carries the term TH in its name. In other cases, TH denotes universities of applied sciences |
| Duale Hochschulen | Dual studies institution | Offer a combination of vocational training and academic education | This subtype developed out of vocational academies (German: Berufsakademie), which reveals its dedication to the professional training of its students |
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