RegelWerk research group
The RegelWerk project
Which rules support successful university study? RegelWerk examines how admission criteria, academic advising rules and examination regulations relate to study trajectories and student success.
We focus on how binding these rules are: what rights and obligations do they create for students and universities? What effects do different rules have, and do these effects vary across degree programmes and student groups?
Degree completion compared Research questions Aims Commitment Areas of regulation Stages of study Project structure Data and methods Project facts
Degree completion compared
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Show all values as a table
| Country or average | Share |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 80.4 % |
| Türkiye | 78.5 % |
| Ireland | 74.3 % |
| Canada | 68.6 % |
| Norway | 67.5 % |
| Switzerland | 65.8 % |
| Portugal | 64.6 % |
| Romania | 64.5 % |
| Lithuania | 63.5 % |
| Iceland | 61.8 % |
| Finland | 61.4 % |
| Spain | 59.4 % |
| OECD average | 59.4 % |
| New Zealand | 58.9 % |
| Australia | 58.4 % |
| EU25 average | 57.9 % |
| Netherlands | 55.0 % |
| Sweden | 54.3 % |
| Slovenia | 54.2 % |
| Italy | 51.4 % |
| France | 45.7 % |
| Brazil | 43.4 % |
| Austria | 41.5 % |
| Chile | 37.9 % |
| Colombia¹ | 32.0 % |
| Germany† | 30 % |
Sources and methodological notes
Sources: OECD, Education at a Glance 2025, Figure B5.1 and Table B5.1 (data file); Germany: Destatis, 2025 study progression statistics, press release of 17 July 2026.
OECD: The figures show the share of students who initially entered a bachelor’s programme full-time and completed a qualification at any tertiary level within the theoretical programme duration plus one year. According to the table note, the reference year for this observation point is 2021. Colombia has a different reference year.
† Germany: 30% of students who began a bachelor’s programme in the 2020 academic year graduated within eight semesters. The period starts when students enter their subject programme; individual interruptions are not deducted.
Comparability: Cohorts, observation periods and definitions of completion differ. The German figure is therefore only comparable to the OECD figures to a limited extent. The remaining shares are not dropout rates: students may graduate later.
Research questions
- Which specific rules contribute to greater commitment and binding obligations in university study?
- How does the binding nature of admission, academic advising and examination rules affect student success?
Aims
RegelWerk systematically documents institutional rules and examines their importance for access to higher education, study progression and degree completion. Outcomes include time to degree, dropout, final grades and the social composition of the student body.
The research group aims to develop evidence-based recommendations for higher education policy and practice. We also examine whether rules affect student groups differently. More binding rules are therefore not assumed to be inherently beneficial.
Commitment
University rules define rights and obligations for students and institutions. Commitment involves both sides: universities provide reliable support and transparent requirements, while students take on obligations relating to their studies.
Examples include compulsory advising sessions, minimum credit requirements, and rules on examination registration and resits. These rules can provide guidance while also limiting students’ freedom of choice.
RegelWerk therefore examines not only which rules exist, but also how they relate to study trajectories and student success, and how these relationships differ between student groups.
Areas of regulation
Admissions
Criteria and procedures governing entry to a degree programme.
Academic advising
Support services and obligations that guide students throughout their studies.
Examinations
Requirements and procedures covering credits, examination registration, resits and deadlines.
Stages of study
Before enrolment
- Application
- Admission
During study
- Advising
- Examinations
Outcomes
- Graduation
- Dropout
Rules may matter at different stages: admission, the first year, subsequent study progression and degree completion. Transitions to further study or employment are also part of the conceptual framework.
The first funding phase focuses on bachelor’s and state examination programmes. A possible second funding phase would extend the research to master’s programmes and career development.
Project structure
Documenting and comparing rules
Admission, academic advising and examination rules are systematically documented, placed in a theoretical framework and made comparable through indicators. Text analysis, surveys and survey experiments complement one another.
Examining access to higher education
We examine how admission criteria and study regulations relate to applications, selection decisions and the acceptance of study places.
Analysing study trajectories and student success
We focus on the importance of institutional rules for time to degree, dropout and final grades, including potential differences between student groups.
Making findings useful for practice
A planned analytical tool will present rules and comparisons in an accessible form for higher education policymakers and administrators. Dialogue with practitioners supports the transfer of findings.
Coordinating collaboration and research data
The research group coordinates collaboration between the partners and organises research data management, data protection and opportunities for scholarly reuse.
Data and methods
- Regulatory documents
- Rule extraction
- Rule classification
- Bindingness measurement
- Index construction
- Outcome analysis
Combining different data sources
RegelWerk links information on institutional rules with data on study decisions and study trajectories. Sources include admissions information from the Stiftung für Hochschulzulassung, study and examination regulations, and official student and examination statistics.
The group also uses the Panel Study of School Leavers with a Higher Education Entrance Qualification (Studienberechtigtenpanel) and the German Student Survey (Studierendenbefragung in Deutschland). These surveys allow us to consider individual circumstances, decision-making processes and students’ assessments of their study situation.
Documenting rules and perspectives
Automated text analysis extracts and structures information from study and examination regulations. Indicators and indices will make different rules comparable.
The project also plans a survey of degree programme coordinators and programme directors. It will document which rules exist, how they are implemented and how they have changed.
Survey experiments with students add another perspective: hypothetical examination regulations are used to examine preferences and the perceived binding nature of different rules.
Examining effects
The analyses draw on differences between universities and degree programmes, as well as changes over time. Econometric methods, including difference-in-differences approaches, will help examine potential effects of institutional rules.
Alternative explanations and methodological assumptions are taken into account. An observed association alone does not establish a causal effect.
Project facts
Full title:
RegelWerk – Regeln und Verbindlichkeit im Studium: Was bewirken sie?
Duration:
2025–2029
Coordination:
Prof. Dr. Kerstin Schneider, RWI – Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung
Project partners:
RWI – Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Deutsches Zentrum für Hochschul- und Wissenschaftsforschung und Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf
Funding:
Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR)