Hamburger Fern-Hochschule

What Hamburger Fern-Hochschule does

Hamburger Fern-Hochschule (HFH) is a private, state-recognized distance-learning university founded in 1997 and headquartered at Alter Teichweg 19 in Hamburg, operating as a gemeinnützige GmbH (non-profit limited liability company) under managing director Michael Scheithauer. It delivers part-time higher education aimed at working professionals and adult learners who need to combine study with work or family obligations, offering 16 Bachelor programs and 9 Master programs across three faculties (Health & Care, Technology, Economics & Law), plus approximately 200 continuing education certificate modules, dual study programs in logistics and therapy/pflegewissenschaften, and Austria-specific study tracks. Programs are delivered through the HFH WebCampus — a Moodle-integrated learning platform providing study materials, online seminars, exam registration, and proctored online examinations — supported by a network of 14 regional study centers across Germany and Austria for in-person advising and optional seminars.

HFH monetizes primarily through recurring monthly tuition subscriptions billed over multi-year program duration: Bachelor programs total €7,100–€16,280, Master programs €11,790–€14,490, and individual certificate modules €552–€858 per 6-month term. Promotional levers include a one-month free trial, a free first exam attempt, a 10% monthly discount on Master tuition, and a Freundschaftswerbung referral scheme. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the HFH website, online info sessions and webinars, three podcast series, email marketing, Instagram, and in-person advisory across the regional centers; with roughly 14,000 active students and more than 21,000 alumni, the institution reports a 96% student recommendation rate. The core customer segments are working professionals seeking career advancement, parents and caregivers needing scheduling flexibility, shift workers, individuals without traditional Abitur, and healthcare/social-services professionals pursuing academic professionalization.

Name

Hamburger Fern-Hochschule

Legal name

HFH · Hamburger Fern-Hochschule gemeinnützige GmbH

Website

https://hfh-fernstudium.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Hamburger Fern-Hochschule is a private, state-recognized distance learning university in Hamburg offering 16 Bachelor and 9 Master programs plus roughly 200 continuing education certificates to about 14,000 working professionals and adult learners across Germany and Austria.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices14 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Bachelor Program Tuition: Monthly tuition fees for Bachelor programs range from €7,100 to €16,280 total, covering the full program duration. Costs include study materials and access to WebCampus, plus an examination fee at completion.
2. Master Program Tuition: Monthly tuition fees for Master programs range from €11,790 to €14,490 total. Master programs also carry examination fees and may include a 10% discount for Master students under promotional campaigns.
3. Certificate/Continuing Education Modules: Individual certificate modules priced at €552–€858, typically spanning 6 months with 6 credit points. Students receive Hochschulzertifikate upon completion, which can be credited toward degree programs.
4. Dual Study Programs: Dual study programs combining employment with academic study, with separate enrollment and fee structures for logistics and therapy/pflegewissenschaften programs in Hamburg and Rhein-Main regions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

HFH is a state-recognized distance learning university that delivers accredited Bachelor and Master degree programs as well as approximately 200 continuing education certificate modules to working professionals and adult learners. Programs are offered via blended distance learning through the WebCampus learning platform, supported by study briefs, online seminars, optional in-person sessions at regional study centers, and accessible without Numerus Clausus requirements. Tuition is paid as recurring monthly fees across Germany and Austria.

Product overview

HFH · Hamburger Fern-Hochschule operates as a private, state-recognized distance learning university offering a unified platform of distance education products. The core offerings consist of 16 Bachelor programs and 9 Master programs delivered through the WebCampus learning platform, supplemented by approximately 200 continuing education certificate modules. Students can also enroll in dual study programs or Austria-specific study models. The product portfolio is organized as a platform-plus-modules architecture, where the WebCampus serves as the central hub for all programs, while individual Bachelor and Master programs function as distinct degree products. Continuing education modules operate as standalone certificates that can be stacked toward degree programs or pursued independently. Dual study and Austria-specific offerings extend the core distance learning model to meet regional market needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bachelor-Studiengänge (Bachelor Degree Programs)
• Master-Studiengänge (Master Degree Programs)
• Weiterbildungen (Continuing Education Modules and Certificates)
• Duales Studium (Dual Study Programs)
• Studienmodelle für Österreich (Austria-Specific Study Programs)
• WebCampus
• Fernstudium testen (One-Month Free Trial)

Quantifiable outcome

• 96% of HFH graduates recommend the program to others
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

AI capability2 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• DAA-Stiftung Bildung und BerufcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Since 2015, the DAA-Stiftung has partnered with HFH to administer the Deutschlandstipendium program, providing monthly scholarships of €300 to deserving students. The foundation co-finances the program with private donors and public matching funds, enabling financial support for approximately 32 HFH students annually.
• datenschutz nord GmbHcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerExternal data protection officer (Datenschutzbeauftragter) providing GDPR compliance services. Also serves as external ombudsstelle (compliance office) for HFH's whistleblower system, receiving and handling reports of legal violations.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• The Open University: UK-based public distance-learning university and global benchmark for large-scale online higher education. A useful comparison for HFH's pedagogical model and operating footprint, though operating in a different regulatory and geographic market.
• FernUniversität in Hagen: Germany's state-run distance-learning university and the largest FernUniversität in the country, providing accredited Bachelor, Master, and doctoral distance programs. Overlaps materially with HFH's offerings but does so as a public institution with broader scale.

Direct peers

• IU International University of Applied Sciences: Germany's largest private university and a leading provider of accredited distance-learning Bachelor and Master programs (formerly IUBH). Directly competes with HFH for working-adult enrollments but operates at much larger scale and with significant PE backing.
• Allensbach Hochschule: Private, state-recognized German distance-learning university focused on economics, psychology, and health programs for working professionals. Closely overlaps HFH's Bachelor/Master and certificate positioning and competes for the same adult-learner segment.
• APOLLON Hochschule: Private German Fernhochschule with strong focus on health, social work, and economics distance-learning programs. HFH's Gesundheit/Pflege and Wirtschaft faculties compete directly with APOLLON's portfolio for the same working professional cohort.
• AKAD University: Germany's oldest private distance-learning university offering Bachelor, Master and certificate programs alongside ~100 continuing education paths. Closely comparable to HFH in target audience (working professionals, mature learners), catalog breadth, and Fernstudium positioning.
• Hochschule Fresenius: Private German university group offering dual and distance-learning Bachelor/Master programs, including in health, business, and engineering. Directly comparable to HFH in degree levels, professional audience, and hybrid delivery model.
• SRH Fernhochschule – The Mobile University: Germany-based, ZFU-certified distance-learning university backed by SRH, offering Bachelor and Master programs via fully online and hybrid formats. Directly comparable in delivery model, regulatory status, and target segments (employed adults).
• FOM Hochschule: Germany's largest private university for working professionals, with dual-study and part-time evening/weekend formats. Comparable in targeting employed learners and offering them accredited Bachelor/Master paths, with a similarly large study-center network.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/hfhfernstudium
• Xx.com/hfh_fernstudium

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hamburger Fern-Hochschule