At private schools in Germany, classes typically have between 15 and 22 students. That is significantly fewer than at public schools, where class sizes of 25 to 30 students are not uncommon. At international private schools, classes of 16 to 20 students are common, and at international schools in Germany overall, class sizes are generally between 16 and 22 students.
The following sections explain why this is the case, how class size affects academic success, and what you should look for when choosing a school.
How Many Students Are Typically in a Private School Class?
At private schools in Germany, the average class size is around 15 to 22 students. By comparison, public schools often have 25 to 30 students per class. The exact number varies depending on the type of school, the grade level, and the educational concept of the institution.
Many private schools deliberately set a cap on class size to ensure a particular learning climate. This decision is often part of the school’s profile and is communicated as a mark of quality. Individual attention is particularly important in the early years, that is, in elementary school and the lower secondary grades, which is why class sizes there are often the smallest.
At international private schools, classes are usually a little smaller still, since teaching takes place in English and teachers face particular educational demands. Classes of 16 to 20 students are common here.
Why Are Classes at Private Schools Often Smaller?
Smaller classes at private schools are the result of a deliberate educational decision and a different funding structure. Since private schools are financed by tuition, they can hire more teachers and deliberately limit class sizes. The educational concept of many private schools puts the individual support of each child at the center, which simply requires smaller groups.
Smaller classes also allow closer cooperation between teachers and parents. Teachers know their students better and can identify learning gaps early and respond in a targeted way. This is structurally more difficult at public schools with much larger classes, even though the teachers there are just as committed.
Another reason is competition: private schools are compared with one another and use small classes as a concrete mark of quality to appeal to education-minded parents. Class size is therefore not only an educational decision but also a strategic one.
What Influence Does Class Size Have on Academic Success?
Smaller classes have a positive effect on academic success when they are combined with correspondingly individualized teaching. In smaller groups, students receive more direct attention, are more likely to ask questions, and can learn at their own pace. This is a decisive advantage, especially for children with different learning needs.
However, it would be too simplistic to attribute academic success to class size alone. The quality of the teachers, the structure of the curriculum, and a school’s learning culture play at least as large a role. A small class with a poorly structured teaching concept achieves less than a somewhat larger class with excellent teachers and a clear educational framework.
What matters is the interplay: when small classes are combined with regular progress checks, targeted individual support, and a structured curriculum, they reach their full potential. It is exactly this combination that makes the difference between an average and an outstanding education.
How Large Are Classes at International Schools in Germany?
At international schools in Germany, class sizes are generally between 16 and 22 students. Class size at an international school is often managed even more deliberately than at other private schools, since teaching takes place in English and children with very different educational backgrounds and language skills often come together.
International schools often work with globally recognized curricula such as the International Baccalaureate (IB) or the Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE). These programs require in-depth engagement with the content, which favors smaller learning groups. In the upper grades, for example in IB courses, groups can be even smaller depending on the subject, because students choose different focus areas.
Another aspect is cultural diversity: at international schools, children from many different countries come together. Small classes help students experience this diversity as an enrichment while making sure no one gets lost when language skills or previous school experience vary widely.
Should Class Size Be a Deciding Factor When Choosing a School?
Class size should be an important, but not the only, criterion when choosing a school. Small classes create favorable conditions for individual learning, but they are not an end in themselves. What matters is what the school does with these conditions: How structured is the teaching? How does the school respond to learning gaps? How closely does it work with parents?
Parents looking for a private school or international school for their child should ask the following questions:
- How many students are in a class, and does this number remain constant?
- How does the school identify learning gaps, and how does it respond to them?
- What qualifications do the teachers have, and how high is teacher turnover?
- Which international qualifications are offered, and how good are the results?
- How is individual support put into practice?
Ultimately, class size is an indicator of a school’s educational philosophy. A school that deliberately offers small classes and combines this with a well-thought-out curriculum and qualified teachers shows that it takes education seriously. That is a good sign, but look closely at how these promises are kept in everyday school life.
How Does ISR International School on the Rhine Combine Small Classes With Academic Success?
At ISR International School on the Rhine in Neuss, near Düsseldorf, Germany, we believe that small classes only truly make a difference when they are combined with a structured curriculum and consistent individual support. That is exactly our approach: we deliberately keep our classes at a size that allows our teachers to truly know every student and support them in a targeted way.
What this means in practice:
- Weekly progress checks help us identify learning gaps early and respond immediately, before they become entrenched.
- English as the language of instruction, combined with German as a required subject and additional foreign languages from grade 6, prepares our students for a global future.
- Internationally recognized qualifications such as the Cambridge IGCSE and the IB Diploma open doors to universities worldwide. Over the past three years, 100% of students who aimed for the IB Diploma obtained the German general university entrance qualification (Allgemeine Hochschulreife).
- Three full-time University and Career Counselors support our students on their way to the university of their choice.
- State-of-the-art facilities, including science labs, IT rooms with 3D printers and VR headsets, and a fitness center, create a learning environment that fosters curiosity and achievement.
As a nonprofit institution, we reinvest all income directly in the school. You can find information about ISR tuition and funding options on our website. If you would like to learn more about everyday life, our curriculum, and our school community, we warmly invite you to attend one of the ISR Info Days and see for yourself.
