The University of Europe for Applied Sciences (UE) has analyzed the educational backgrounds of members of the German Bundestag
• 81 percent of MPs hold a university degree, 15 percent have completed vocational training
• CDU/CSU and the Greens each have the highest share of academics, at 91 percent; the AfD has the lowest, at 61 percent
• The AfD has the highest proportion of career changers, at 34 percent

Berlin, June 4, 2025 – 81 percent of the members of the German Bundestag have completed university studies, while 31 percent hold a traditional vocational qualification. These are the results of an analysis conducted by the University of Europe for Applied Sciences (UE), which examined the biographies of the parliamentarians.

AfD has the lowest proportion of academics in the Bundestag
CDU/CSU and Alliance 90/The Greens both boast the highest proportion of academic degree holders among their MPs, with 91 percent each. The SPD follows closely with 88 percent, while The Left reaches 75 percent. The AfD has the lowest proportion: only 61 percent of its members have a university degree.

Most common fields of study among MPs
27 percent of MPs with a degree studied law, followed by economics (21 percent) and political science (17 percent). Fields such as engineering and social sciences each make up about six percent.

Party-specific differences are also evident in academic disciplines:
Half of the MPs with degrees in agricultural, forestry, or environmental sciences belong to the Greens. 47 percent of engineering graduates are members of the AfD. Among law graduates, CDU/CSU members dominate with 51 percent, as well as among economics graduates, with 50 percent. Political science degrees are more evenly distributed: 33 percent of such graduates belong to the SPD, 26 percent each to CDU/CSU and the Greens, nine percent to The Left, and six percent to the AfD.

Most common vocational qualifications in the Bundestag
31 percent of MPs in the Bundestag have completed vocational training. Nearly half of them (around 16 percent) also hold a university degree. The remaining 15 percent are classified as career changers without a higher education degree. Among them, 28 percent have a commercial/business background, 15 percent completed a craft or trade apprenticeship. Ten percent each trained in healthcare or as electricians.

There are also significant differences between the parties in terms of career changers. The AfD has the highest proportion at 34 percent, followed by The Left at 14 percent and the SPD at 10 percent. The CDU/CSU stands at eight percent, while the Greens have the lowest proportion, at just one percent.

“The German Bundestag is heavily dominated by academics,” says Prof. Johannes Kiessler, Dean of the Faculty of Art & Design at the University of Europe for Applied Sciences. “What’s striking is the underrepresentation of people from the cultural sector and creative professions. The path into politics is diverse — and it should remain so. If we truly want our parliament to reflect society, all professional backgrounds must be represented. People from the arts, culture, and media represent cultural participation, diversity, and education. They are often used to developing innovative solutions and working with limited resources — these are valuable skills in politics, especially in times of multiple crises. Creative professionals bring new perspectives to democratic societies; culture shapes our identity and strengthens social cohesion. Collaboration among people with different life experiences fosters innovation and helps break down entrenched societal structures. This is the only way we can truly move forward as a society.”

Note: “Career changers” are defined as MPs who have only completed vocational training without a university degree.

About the study
The study is based on an analysis of the biographies of all 630 MPs of the 21st legislative period, focusing on their academic and professional backgrounds. Only the highest academic degree achieved was considered. For 26 MPs, no relevant information was available on the official website of the German Bundestag at the time of analysis (June 25, 2025).

Press contact:
Tonka Communications
 ue@tonka-pr.com

Jessica Barthel:
University of Europe for Applied Sciences
 +49 (0)172 364 0254
 jessica.barthel@gusgermany.de