Pädagogische Hochschule Freiburg

What Pädagogische Hochschule Freiburg does

Pädagogische Hochschule Freiburg is a public state university in Freiburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, founded in 1962 and legally constituted under the Landeshochschulgesetz of the State of Baden-Württemberg. It operates as a university-level teacher-training and educational-sciences institution with promotion and habilitation rights, organized across three faculties (Bildungswissenschaften, Kultur- und Sozialwissenschaften, Mathematik/Naturwissenschaften/Technik) and more than ten central facilities, including School of Education FACE, ICSE, ReCCE, CIRDE, ZfdC, ZELF, ZIK and Studium Plus. Its academic portfolio covers bachelor, master and doctoral programmes across Lehramt Primarstufe, Sekundarstufe 1, Sonderpädagogik, Gymnasium (via FACE), Europalehramt and binational German-French tracks, Erziehungswissenschaft, Kindheitspädagogik, Gesundheitspädagogik, Nachhaltigkeit und Klimabildung (MSc), Deutsch als Zweit-/Fremdsprache, Berufs- und Wirtschaftspädagogik, and continuing-education master programmes such as E-LINGO and Unterrichts- und Schulentwicklung.

The institution's technology stack centers on HISinOne (campus management), ILIAS (learning platform), LSF (course catalog), Quasus, and the CIRDE Videostudio (five-set video/audio/podcast/streaming facility launched October 2024). Dedicated research outputs include the ZfdC Spieledatenbank and AR/VR-Datenbank, the ZfdC YouTube video series (56+ episodes on computer games in classrooms), and the CIRDE podcast on digital education. AI/ML activity is a stated institutional focus ('Digitalisierung & Künstliche Intelligenz') and covers research on generative AI in education, intelligent tutoring systems (e.g., the Pair-Up system researched by Prof. Dr. Nikol Rummel), ChatGPT in studies, inclusive experimenting with digital learning environments (INEXdigital, including computer-vision-assisted accessibility for visual/hearing-impaired learners), and the KoDiA II Living Lab evaluating technology-supported competency development at Bundeswehr schools.

The business model is publicly funded rather than commercial: primary revenue is the state budget of the Land Baden-Württemberg via the Ministry of Science and Research, supplemented by competitive third-party/Drittmittel (e.g., KoDiA II funded by the Bundesministerium der Verteidigung via dtec.bw, Erasmus+, EU DataPro), standard semester fees (no general tuition for standard degree programmes), continuing-education master fees (E-LINGO, Unterrichts- und Schulentwicklung), certificate/Kontaktstudium fees (e.g., HOLA), ZELF in-service teacher training, and room rentals. Distribution is principally direct-to-student via the Studierendensekretariat, HISinOne self-service portal, and prospective-student events (Studieninformationstag, Schnupperstudium, Boys'/Girls' Day), augmented by channel partners (Studierendenwerk, Akademie für Wissenschaftliche Weiterbildung, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg and Hochschule für Musik Freiburg via FACE, KM Baden-Württemberg).

Name

Pädagogische Hochschule Freiburg

Legal name

Pädagogische Hochschule Freiburg

Website

https://ph-freiburg.de

Company type

Public

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Pädagogische Hochschule Freiburg is a public state university of education in Freiburg, Germany, offering teacher-training and educational-sciences degree programmes, doctoral training, and continuing education, funded primarily by the State of Baden-Württemberg.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education and Teacher Training

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Graduate Schools of Education (M.Ed., Ed.D., Ph.D.) (EDAHAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Research Universities with Comprehensive Graduate & Professional Schools (EDAHAAAF), Education Research & Pedagogy Scholarly Publishing (EDAGAFAH)

Keywords

• Teacher education
• Educational sciences research
• Higher education degrees
• Continuing education programs
• STEM education research

Headquarters

HQ city

Freiburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. State funding (Land Baden-Württemberg): As a public university (Pädagogische Hochschule), the institution is primarily financed by the State of Baden-Württemberg through the Ministry of Science and Research budget, with the Kanzler serving as Beauftragter des Haushalts per § 9 LHO.
2. Third-party / external research funding (Drittmittel): Acquisition of competitive external research grants (e.g., Bundesministerium der Verteidigung for KoDiA, EU partners for DataPro, Erasmus+ for coReflect@maths, dtec.bw) administered through the Drittmittelfinanzierung unit.
3. Continuing education and certificate programs: Revenue-generating further-education master programs (e.g., E-LINGO, Unterrichts- und Schulentwicklung), certificate / Kontaktstudium programs, and teacher training (ZELF) for in-service educators.
4. Semester fees / Student contributions: Standard semester fees from enrolled students, partially administered through the Studierendenwerk Freiburg and Verfasste Studierendenschaft.
5. Space rental to external parties: Vermietung von Räumen an hochschulexterne Nutzende — renting of rooms to external users as listed in the Finanzen und Organisation unit.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels9 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Pädagogische Hochschule Freiburg is a public state university of education that delivers teacher-training degree programs (Primarstufe, Sekundarstufe 1, Sonderpädagogik, Gymnasium, berufliche Bildung) and educational-sciences research across three faculties. It also provides fee-based continuing-education master and certificate programs for in-service teachers, doctoral and postdoctoral training, and senior study (Studium Plus). The institution is financed primarily by the State of Baden-Württemberg, complemented by competitive third-party research grants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• School of Education FACE: Joint cooperation with Universität Freiburg and Hochschule für Musik Freiburg covering teacher education across school levels.
• International Centre for STEM Education (ICSE)
• ReCCE
• CIRDE
• ZfdC
• ZELF
• KeBU

Products and services

• Bachelor Degree Programmes State-accredited bachelor degree programmes covering Lehramt Primarstufe, Lehramt Sekundarstufe 1 (FACE), Europalehramt, Deutsch-Französischer Bachelor, Lehramt Sonderpädagogik, Höheres Lehramt an beruflichen Schulen (Ingenieurpädagogik), Gymnasiales Lehramt (FACE), Musik im Elementar- und Primarbereich, Erziehungswissenschaft, Gesundheitspädagogik, Kindheitspädagogik, Deutsch als Zweit-/Fremdsprache, and Nachstudium migrierte Lehrkräfte; aimed at prospective students entering teacher training and educational science.
• Master Degree Programmes Master degree programmes including Lehramt Primarstufe, Lehramt Sekundarstufe 1 (FACE), Europalehramt, Deutsch-Französischer Master, Lehramt Sonderpädagogik, Höheres Lehramt an beruflichen Schulen / Berufliche Bildung, Gymnasiales Lehramt (FACE), Elementare Musikpädagogik, Erziehungswissenschaft (Erwachsenenbildung/Soziale Arbeit), Gesundheitspädagogik, MSc Nachhaltigkeit und Klimabildung, Binationaler Master DaF/DaZ, E-LINGO Frühes Fremdsprachenlernen, Berufspädagogik, and Unterrichts- und Schulentwicklung.
• Continuing Education and Certificate Programmes Fee-based continuing-education master programmes (E-LINGO, Unterrichts- und Schulentwicklung), ZELF teacher training, Akademie für Wissenschaftliche Weiterbildung offerings, Zertifikate/Kontaktstudien, ICSE Internationales Zentrum für MINT-Bildung, Gaststudium, and Studium Plus (senior study programme).
• HOLA Higher-Education Certificate for Teachers with Foreign Diplomas HOLA is the Hochschulzertifikat für Lehrkräfte mit ausländischem Hochschulabschluss, designed for teachers with foreign teaching diplomas and international teacher-training students to support their integration into the German school system.
• Studium Plus – Seniorinnen- und Seniorenstudium Senior study programme (Studium Plus) at PH Freiburg providing older learners (Senior*innen) access to the academic course catalogue as Gaststudierende.
• School of Education FACE Joint School of Education of PH Freiburg, Universität Freiburg, and Hochschule für Musik Freiburg that trains teachers for primary and secondary schools and offers FACE bachelor and master degree programmes.
• Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Digital Education (CIRDE) Interdisciplinary research center at PH Freiburg advancing research on digital education in schools; houses the CIRDE Videostudio, the CIRDE Podcast, and research on AI in education, with a Direktorium, Geschäftsführung, and Videostudio Wiki.
• International Centre for STEM Education (ICSE) International center for STEM (MINT) education at PH Freiburg addressing the STEM skills shortage in cooperation with European partners and supporting authentic STEM teaching and STEM careers.
• Research Center for Climate Change Education and Education for Sustainable Development (ReCCE) Research center investigating how climate change education and Education for Sustainable Development (BNE) can be fostered in schools, including sub-projects such as ADUMINT and FREIDAY.
• Zentrum für didaktische Computerspielforschung (ZfdC) Europe-wide unique center for didactic computer-game research at PH Freiburg. It researches computer games from a didactic perspective and trains teachers in the use of interactive media and AI in schools, operating the Spieledatenbank, AR-VR-Datenbank, and the Videoreihe "Computerspiele für den Unterricht" on YouTube.
• Kompetenzverbund empirische Bildungs- und Unterrichtsforschung (KeBU) Network for empirical education and classroom research based at PH Freiburg.
• Zentrum für Lehrkräftefortbildung (ZELF) Center for Teacher Continuing Education at PH Freiburg offering professional development for in-service teachers.
• Zentrum für Schulpraktische Studien (ZfS) Center for School-Practical Studies coordinating the teaching-practice phases of teacher trainees.
• Zentrum für Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologie (ZIK) Central IT and communication technology center of PH Freiburg providing technical support, hosting infrastructure, and serving as the contact point for accessibility and IT enquiries.
• Bibliothek (PH Freiburg Library) University library at PH Freiburg with catalogue access via rds.ibs-bw.de.
• Sprachenzentrum (Language Center) Language centre offering Tandembüro (tandem learning) and language training at PH Freiburg.
• Schreibzentrum / Schreibberatung (Writing Center) Writing centre and writing consultation service for students at PH Freiburg.
• Quasus Online Service Platform Online study service platform at quasus.ph-freiburg.de supporting PH Freiburg academic activities.
• INEXdigital Professional Learning Community Professional learning community (PLG) project at PH Freiburg researching inclusive experimenting with digital learning environments in physics; develops materials to support all students' participation in experimentation processes.
• KoDiA – Kompetenzen für die digitale Arbeitswelt (Living Lab) dtec.bw research project (phases I and II) preparing individuals for the requirements and opportunities of the digital working world, including a Living Lab at Bundeswehr schools. Funded by the Bundesministerium der Verteidigung; cooperation with ZtB at Helmut-Schmidt-Universität / Universität der Bundeswehr Hamburg.
• ZfdC Spieledatenbank Database of computer games curated by ZfdC for educational use in schools.
• ZfdC AR-VR-Datenbank Database of AR and VR experiences curated by ZfdC for educational use in schools.

Named customers6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

AI capability11 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Vilnius Universität, Siauilai Akademie (Litauen)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Jurgita Lenkauskaite von der Vilnius Universität, Siauilai Akademie aus Litauen absolviert eine einwöchige ERASMUS-Gastdozentur an der Pädagogischen Hochschule Freiburg. Illustrates Erasmus+ teaching mobility.
• Helmut-Schmidt-Universität / Universität der Bundeswehr Hamburg (ZtB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation partner for the dtec.bw research project KoDiA (Kompetenzen für die digitale Arbeitswelt – Ertüchtigung zur Digitalisierung). PH Freiburg leads work package 1 "Demokratie- und Resilienzbildung zur Kompetenzstärkung für Sicherheits- und Einsatzkräfte" as part of KoDiA II Living Lab (01/2025–12/2026).
• Gawharshad University (Afghanistan)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeutsch-afghanisches Hochschulkooperationsprojekt "Project HOPE": PH Freiburg supports the establishment of a writing center and a university didactics certificate program; train-the-trainer approach for Afghan academics. Network for Afghan researchers who have come to Germany.
• Albert-Ludwigs-Universität FreiburgcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation in the School of Education FACE — joint teacher training, research networks and shared academic infrastructure across the Freiburg higher-education landscape.
• Hochschule für Musik FreiburgcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner within School of Education FACE; jointly delivers teacher-training programs for music-related Lehramt tracks.
• Ministerium für Kultus, Jugend und Sport Baden-Württemberg (KM)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerCooperation on the Starke BASIS! program to promote basic competencies (German and Mathematics) and the bundesweites Startchancen-Programm; PH researchers support teacher training and materials.
• Studierendenwerk FreiburgcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner organization providing campus services (Mensa Littenweiler and other gastronomy, housing support) to PH Freiburg students. The Kanzler is deputy chair of the Studierendenwerk Vertretungsversammlung.
• University of Göttingen / Universität Bremen (iaw)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration on a bundesweite Befragung zu Arbeitsbedingungen studentischer Beschäftigter (survey on working conditions of student employees at higher-education institutions).
• Universität Leipzig, Universität Graz, Stellenbosch University, University of Cape TownminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational research and teaching partnerships; Prof. Dr. Juliana Schlicht's work cites collaborations with the Universität Leipzig (WiWiPäd), Stellenbosch University and University of Cape Town (HELTASA conference workshops).
• Katholische Hochschulgemeinde (khg.live) und Evangelische Studierendengemeinde (esg-fr.de)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner organizations providing pastoral and community support for students on and around the campus.
• Freiburger Verkehrs AG (VAG) und Stadt FreiburgminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal cooperation partners referenced under Campus & Leben for student mobility and city integration.
• EU partners (DataPro project consortium)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDataPro is an international project team with EU partners developing innovative learning materials and tools for data privacy and security awareness among secondary students.
• Akademie für Wissenschaftliche Weiterbildung FreiburgcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner platform for weiterbildende Masterstudiengaenge and academic continuing-education programs at PH Freiburg.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Pädagogische Hochschule Karlsruhe: State-recognized Pädagogische Hochschule in Karlsruhe with university-level teacher-training focus and similar faculty/institute structure. Directly comparable for benchmarking state-funded teacher education in Baden-Württemberg.
• Pädagogische Hochschule Ludwigsburg: Public teacher-training university in Ludwigsburg operating under identical BW legal framework. Comparable size, mission and program portfolio; competes for the same state-funded teacher-training mandate.
• Pädagogische Hochschule Schwäbisch Gmünd: Pädagogische Hochschule in Schwäbisch Gmünd with similar focus on teacher education and educational sciences research. One of six state-recognized PHs in Baden-Württemberg, sharing the same legal and funding framework.
• Pädagogische Hochschule Heidelberg: Public teacher-training university in Heidelberg with the same legal status under the Landeshochschulgesetz Baden-Württemberg. Offers Lehramt programs across primary, secondary and special needs, with comparable faculty structure and state-funding model. Most direct peer institution.
• Pädagogische Hochschule Weingarten: Public teacher-training university in Weingarten with comparable mission and structure. Another BW Pädagogische Hochschule peer, useful for state-level benchmarking of funding, enrollment and research output.

Regional players

• Pädagogische Hochschule Wien: Austrian Pädagogische Hochschule for Vienna with analogous teacher-training mandate and university-level profile under a different (Austrian) legal framework. Useful regional peer for cross-border benchmarking of teacher education and digital-education research.

Broad incumbents

• Technische Universität München (TUM School of Education): Leading technical university with a dedicated School of Education that conducts education research and trains teachers. Broader institution but comparable mission in educational research and STEM didactics relevant to PH Freiburg's ICSE center.
• Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (Kultur-, Sozial- und Bildungswissenschaftliche Fakultät): Major German research university with strong teacher-training programs and educational sciences faculty. Comparable at scale on educational research output and teacher training, though in a different state.
• Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen: Comprehensive public research university in Baden-Württemberg with its own teacher-training programs and educational sciences faculty. Competes with PH Freiburg for Lehramt students and educational research grants in the same state.
• Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg: Comprehensive public research university and the senior partner in School of Education FACE — jointly delivers teacher-training programs with PH Freiburg. Broader portfolio but overlapping Gymnasium-level Lehramt programs create direct competition for students and faculty.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/ph_freiburg
• Facebookfacebook.com/112089872140216

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Pädagogische Hochschule Freiburg