The German Chemical Society (GDCh, Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker) published the 2010 statistics on chemistry students and graduates at Universities and Fachhochschulen in Germany.

There were more students starting to study chemistry (5240), business chemistry (158) and biochemistry (1183) than in the previous year, whereas numbers in food chemistry remained invariabel (457). Fewer students started in 2010 at Fachhochschulen (1144) than in 2009.

In total the number of BSc/MSc increased, however, there are still less MSc than diploma examinations. Compared to the previous year, in 2010 the total number of MSc and diploma examinations at universities decreased in chemistry and biochemistry. As in the previous years the number of students receiving their PhD in chemistry increased.

The economic crisis had the effect that less graduates found a permanent starting position in industry. More PhD graduates than before accepted a limited position at the university or in industry. There were less graduates from Fachhochschulen than last year unemployed.

• GDCh (Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker), Frankfurt, Germany