Not only enrollment and retention: comparing the study trajectories at German universities and Universities of Applied Sciences

While there is an existing scholarly debate on whether less research-oriented universities disrupt or enable higher education success, we know less about students’ actual study patterns beyond static indicators, such as completion or dropout. To address this gap, this article analyzes the study trajectories of bachelor’s students at German universities and Universities of Applied Sciences (UASs). As a methodological contribution, study trajectories are reconstructed using sequence analysis, thereby providing a holistic perspective over a period of more than five years using data from the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS)–a panel study that follows first-time higher education students throughout their higher education career. This study finds that UAS students are more likely than university students to experience linear study trajectories, whereas university students more often experience discontinuous trajectories. This finding remains robust against differences in individual student characteristics, including access pathways. Thus, this study concludes that studying at a UAS safeguards against engaging in detours or long and winding study trajectories.