Leading German comparison portal for distance learning and continuing education. Over 1,200 distance degree programmes, more than 4,800 distance courses, more than 100 providers and over 35,000 student reviews. Multiple consecutive FOCUS-MONEY wins for customer satisfaction.
Fernstudium Direkt is one of the largest independent comparison portals for part-time education in the German-speaking market. Operated by FS Direkt GmbH from Greven (NRW), specialising in distance learning and continuing education for over a decade.
The portal lists over 1,200 distance degree programmes, more than 4,800 distance courses and over 3,500 continuing-education offerings from more than 100 education providers. Over 35,000 student reviews make providers and programmes comparable on average. By the company's own account, the portal has guided several million visitors over its lifetime.
The business model cleanly separates reach from payment. For prospective students, use remains free of charge, including the request for information packs. The platform is financed via commissions from providers on successful placements. There are no own courses or own university. The managing directors are Fabian Haubner and Jan Hölscher.
On the quality side, Fernstudium Direkt is organised in the Federal Association of Distance Learning Providers (BVFA) and thereby commits to association standards on data quality, provider presentation and review moderation. Multiple consecutive FOCUS-MONEY awards and several Handelsblatt awards confirm its position as the highest-reach portal in its segment.
Four areas in which the portal makes a difference for part-time learners.
Four parallel databases for distance degrees, distance courses, continuing education and providers. Instead of scattered university websites, you see the German-language market for part-time education in one filter. That saves weeks of research.
One of the largest review pools in the segment. For most large providers, the averages are based on several hundred reviews. Teaching quality, supervision, materials, exam organisation and study load are rated separately, not just a single star score.
Multiple consecutive FOCUS-MONEY customer-satisfaction wins. Several Handelsblatt awards Best Online Portals Continuing Education. German Education Award 2024/2025. External validation of data quality and user experience.
Member of the Federal Association of Distance Learning Providers. Committed to association standards on provider presentation, data hygiene and review moderation. An additional quality signal beyond pure reach.
Four large databases plus thematic filters. For the dataset reference date, see the spec sheet.
Reference data for research and context.
What you should know about the portal before relying on its data and reviews for your study choice.
Fernstudium Direkt is a comparison portal for distance learning and continuing education in Germany. Operated by FS Direkt GmbH, based in Greven (NRW). The portal lists over 1,200 distance degree programmes, more than 4,800 distance courses and over 3,500 continuing-education offerings from more than 100 providers, plus over 35,000 student reviews.
The operator is FS Direkt GmbH, registered with Steinfurt Local Court under HRB 13275. Managing directors are Fabian Haubner and Jan Hölscher. The registered office is at Emsdettener Strasse 2-4, 48268 Greven. The company is a member of the Federal Association of Distance Learning Providers.
Use is completely free for prospective students. The portal is financed via commissions paid by education providers on successful placement. You pay neither for research nor for requesting information packs.
The reviews come from students and graduates of the listed programmes. With more than 35,000 reviews, the larger providers have meaningful average scores. As with any rating platform: individual opinions can be skewed, but the average trend is more reliable than a single voice.
Multiple consecutive FOCUS-MONEY awards as the continuing-education portal with the highest customer satisfaction (since 2020). Several Handelsblatt awards Best Online Portals Continuing Education. German Education Award 2024/2025.
Fernstudium Direkt is a member of the Federal Association of Distance Learning Providers (BVFA). This commits the portal to association standards on data quality and provider presentation. Membership is an additional quality signal alongside the FOCUS-MONEY and Handelsblatt awards.
No. Fernstudium Direkt is a market overview and review tool, not personal advice. The portal helps with filtering and comparing. What it cannot do: assess your specific biography, examine credit transfer for prior learning, evaluate doctoral chances or judge the fit between you and a concrete programme.
As a market observer. The aggregated reviews, provider rankings and programme coverage are an important data source for assessing provider quality and student satisfaction. In our consultation, I combine these market data with an individual profile analysis. Details are on the consultation process page.
In 30 minutes, I will help you identify which of the over 1,200 distance degrees and more than 4,800 distance courses on the German-language market suit your profile. Market data from Fernstudium Direkt is one of several sources that feed into my recommendation.
Clarify your study options