zfh - Zentrum für Fernstudien im Hochschulverbund

What zfh - Zentrum für Fernstudien im Hochschulverbund does

zfh – Zentrum für Fernstudien im Hochschulverbund is a German public-sector higher-education coordination body headquartered at Hochschule Koblenz in Koblenz, Germany. Founded in 1995 as an academic institution of the states of Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse, and Saarland and formalized by a state treaty in 1998, zfh operates as an obere Landesbehörde (upper state authority) of Rhineland-Palatinate under the supervision of the Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Gesundheit des Landes Rheinland-Pfalz. It does not own or confer degrees itself; rather, it coordinates and administers part-time, blended-learning distance study programmes delivered through a network of 21 state universities of applied sciences spanning nine German states. Its core function is to provide the shared administration, accreditation oversight, enrollment infrastructure, marketing, and curriculum coordination for more than 100 Bachelor, Master, MBA, and certificate programmes in social sciences, economics, and technology/natural sciences, serving over 6,400 enrolled students.

The technical platform centers on a centralized online enrollment portal (online.zfh.de) integrated with CampusNet, supporting blended learning via self-study materials, online teaching, and periodic face-to-face sessions. The organization uses HubSpot CRM and CleverReach for email marketing, Google Analytics and Google AdWords for web analytics and paid acquisition, an Onlim AI-powered chatbot for website customer communication, and Adobe Typekit for web typography. Notable product initiatives include the AdLer (Adaptive Digitale Lernräume) project, which enables professors to build virtual 3D learning environments, and the BioMex international biomedical certificate programme. All degree programmes are accredited by agencies including ACQUIN, AHPGS, ASIIN, AQAS, FIBAA, and ZEvA, and the organization holds DIN ISO 9001 quality management certification.

zfh's business model is that of a public non-profit under state supervision. Tuition and programme fees vary by programme and university and are paid by individual students, supplemented by state appropriations and the corporate/employer-sponsorship channel. There is no equity ownership, no venture funding, and no acquisition pathway; zfh is governed through a state-treaty framework with Prof. Dr. Ralf Haderlein as head (since 2008) and Marc Bludau as managing director (since 2011). Customer segments are dominated by working professionals seeking accredited degrees while continuing employment, with secondary segments including career re-entrants, undergraduate distance learners, and corporate partners funding employee development.

Name

zfh - Zentrum für Fernstudien im Hochschulverbund

Legal name

Zentralstelle für Fernstudien an Fachhochschulen (ZFH)

Website

https://zfh.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Short description

zfh – Zentrum für Fernstudien im Hochschulverbund is a German public-sector coordination body that administers more than 100 part-time distance learning programmes across 21 partner universities of applied sciences in nine German states, serving over 6,400 working professionals pursuing accredited Bachelor, Master, MBA, and certificate qualifications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education / Distance Learning

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Online Divisions of Traditional Universities (Hybrid/Extension) (EDAHALAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Online/Hybrid Lifelong Learning Platforms & Open Enrollment Programs (EDAAAEAL)

Keywords

• Distance learning programs
• Continuing higher education
• Part-time academic studies
• University certificate programs
• Blended learning courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Koblenz

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and program fees: Distance learning programs charge tuition fees to students. The fees vary by program and university. Students can apply for funding support including education leave (Bildungsfreistellung) and other financing options.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

zfh – Zentrum für Fernstudien im Hochschulverbund coordinates and administers part-time distance learning programmes and certificates across a network of 21 partner state universities of applied sciences in Germany. The core offerings include Bachelor's, Master's, and MBA distance learning degree programmes, continuing education courses leading to university certificates, and attendance certificates, spanning social sciences, economics, and technology/natural sciences disciplines. Programmes follow a blended learning format combining self-study, online teaching, and face-to-face attendance phases.

Product overview

The zfh university network operates as a distance learning coordination and administration body, offering over 100 distance learning programs across 21 partner universities in nine German states. The core product portfolio includes Bachelor and Master degree programs, MBA programs, continuing education with university certificates, and attendance certificates, spanning social sciences, economics, and technical/natural sciences disciplines. Programs follow a blended learning format combining self-study, online teaching, and attendance phases. Additional offerings include the BioMex international certificate program and the AdLer adaptive digital learning spaces project. All academic degree programs are accredited by agencies such as ACQUIN, AHPGS, ASIIN, AQAS, FIBAA, or ZEvA.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BioMex Certificate Programme: Advanced Biomedical Expertise BioMex - an international distance learning certificate programme in cooperation with TH Bingen and partner institutions, including a Rwanda project with University of Rwanda and BioNTech Rwanda Ltd.

Products and services

• Bachelor Fernstudium

Named customers12 records

Segments4 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 capability3 records

Partnerships

29 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partner in the BioMex (Advanced Biomedical Expertise) international program. Ruben Faller from GIZ participated in the BioMex Rwanda trip 2023.
• Partnerschaftsverein (Partnership Association)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Dr. Hanna Schühle (Director) from the partnership association participated in the BioMex Rwanda trip 2023.
• Hochschule FuldacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState university of applied sciences in Hesse. One of the 21 partner universities in the zfh distance learning network, offering distance learning programs in social sciences, economics, and technology.
• Frankfurt University of Applied SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState university of applied sciences in Hesse. Partner university in the zfh network offering distance learning programs.
• Hochschule Geisenheim UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState university of applied sciences in Hesse. Partner in the zfh distance learning network.
• Technische Hochschule MittelhessencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState university of applied sciences in Hesse (THM). Partner university offering distance learning programs through the zfh network.
• Hochschule RheinMaincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState university of applied sciences in Hesse. Partner in the zfh distance learning network.
• TH Bingen University of Applied SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState university of applied sciences in Rhineland-Palatinate. Key partner offering distance learning programs, including the BioMex program.
• Hochschule Kaiserslautern University of Applied SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState university of applied sciences in Rhineland-Palatinate. Partner offering multiple distance learning programs including MBA programs.
• Ludwigshafen University of Business and SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState university of applied sciences in Rhineland-Palatinate. Partner offering business and management distance learning programs including MBA programs.
• Hochschule für öffentliche Verwaltung Rheinland-PfalzcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState university of applied sciences in Rhineland-Palatinate focusing on public administration. Partner in the zfh network.
• Trier University of Applied SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState university of applied sciences in Rhineland-Palatinate. One of the founding partner universities of the zfh network.
• Hochschule Worms University of Applied SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState university of applied sciences in Rhineland-Palatinate. Partner in the zfh distance learning network.
• Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft des Saarlandes University of Applied SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState university of applied sciences in Saarland. Partner offering distance learning programs including the MBA 'Leading Business Transformation'.
• Technische Hochschule AschaffenburgminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation partner from Bavaria. Partner in the zfh network offering distance learning programs.
• Hochschule MünchenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation partner from Bavaria in the zfh distance learning network.
• Alice Salomon Hochschule BerlinminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation partner from Berlin in the zfh network.
• Fachhochschule PotsdamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation partner from Brandenburg in the zfh distance learning network.
• Hochschule Emden-LeerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation partner from Lower Saxony in the zfh network, involved in the BASA-online program.
• Fachhochschule MünsterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation partner from North Rhine-Westphalia in the zfh distance learning network.
• Fachhochschule KielminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation partner from Schleswig-Holstein in the zfh network.
• Bundesverband der FernstudienanbieterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal Association of Distance Learning Providers. zfh is a member, indicating industry representation and standards adherence.
• Deutsche Gesellschaft für wissenschaftliche Weiterbildung und Fernstudium e.V. (DGWF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman Association for Academic Continuing Education and Distance Learning. Professional organization for the distance learning sector.
• Duale Hochschule Rheinland-PfalzminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation partner in distance learning development.
• FFHS – Fernfachhochschule SchweizminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss distance learning university of applied sciences. International cooperation partner.
• Graduate School Rhein-Neckar gGmbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation partner in the Rhine-Neckar region for continuing education.
• Wirtschafts- & Wissenschaftsallianz KoblenzminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional economic and scientific alliance based in Koblenz, supporting the zfh network.
• IfV NRW – Institut für Verbundstudien der Fachhochschulen Nordrhein-WestfalensminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitute for Cooperative Studies at Universities of Applied Sciences in North Rhine-Westphalia.
• University of RwandaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational academic partner in the BioMex program. Part of the Rwanda cooperation for the advanced biomedical expertise certificate program.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• HFH Hamburger Fern-Hochschule: State-recognized private distance-learning university offering UAS-equivalent degrees in blended formats for working professionals. Direct competitor in the German Fernstudium segment.
• IU Internationale Hochschule: Germany's largest private university with a heavy distance-learning and dual-study offering across Bachelor's, Master's, and MBA programmes. Competes head-to-head with zfh for working-professional enrollment but with a fully private, scalable, capital-backed operating model.
• SRH Fernhochschule – The Mobile University: Private, accredited distance-learning provider under the SRH group offering Bachelor's, Master's, and certificate programmes via fully online and blended formats. Comparable in delivery model and professional-learner focus to zfh.
• FOM Hochschule: Private university of applied sciences specializing in part-time, berufsbegleitend degree programmes for working professionals, with strong presence in DACH. Highly comparable to zfh on target customer (working professionals), UAS positioning, and part-time/evening delivery model.
• Europäische Fernhochschule Hamburg (Euro-FH): Private, state-recognized distance-learning university focused on Bachelor, Master, and MBA programmes for professionals. Comparable in delivery format, target audience, and UAS-equivalent positioning to zfh.
• AKAD University: Private German distance-learning university offering Bachelor's, Master's, and certified continuing-education programmes aimed at working professionals. Direct competitor in the same distance-learning Hochschul segment with a similar flexible-format approach.

Broad incumbents

• FernUniversität in Hagen: Germany's largest state distance-learning university, offering a full portfolio of Bachelor's, Master's, and doctoral programs. It is the closest domestic public-sector comparable to zfh in mission (state-backed distance higher education), though FernUni is itself a single university rather than a multi-university coordinating body.

Regional players

• Hochschule Darmstadt (h_da): One of zfh's core 21 partner UAS institutions, delivering multiple distance-learning Master's programmes (e.g., Elektrotechnik, MBA Innovations-Management) through the zfh network. It is the academic content arm rather than a competing coordinator.
• FFHS – Fernfachhochschule Schweiz: Swiss distance-learning UAS already listed as a zfh international cooperation partner. Operates in the German-speaking DACH market with a comparable UAS-distance-learning model, making it both a partner and a peer across the German-speaking region.

Others

• DGWF – Deutsche Gesellschaft für wissenschaftliche Weiterbildung und Fernstudium: German professional association for academic continuing education and distance learning, of which zfh is a member. Comparable not as a commercial peer but as the principal sectoral body representing the same field and standards.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ZFH_Fernstudium
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zfh

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about zfh - Zentrum für Fernstudien im Hochschulverbund