Costs, culture and life decisions: Analysing the factors that influence enrolment in master's level education in Germany

Through evaluation of current literature and survey data, this exploratory study aimed to determine factors that influence enrolment in master's level education and attendant delay of life decisions. A total of 134 master's students at a German university were surveyed. The mean age was 25 years and respondents were nearly equal parts German and non-German nationalities. Results show how cultural factors motivate enrolment in master's programmes and how enrolment influences the timing of other important life decisions. Respondents expected significant benefits to social status, job placement and income. While this small-scale study does not include all decision factors and its findings are not fully generalizable, we hope it motivates further research in this area.