The DZHW has regularly presented its equipment, costs and performance comparisons (AKL) since 1998, providing comparable key figures at subject level across higher education institutions (HEIs) and federal states.
The AKL aims to support the actors in academic policy by objectifying political and HEI-internal discussions and giving them an empirical foundation, as well as contributing to improving internal HEI management. It intends to achieve this by providing a valid data basis that permits a comparison of similar subject units at different HEIs. For this purpose, the AKL is designed as a system of key numbers relating to costs, making it possible to relate the costs and performance of HEIs to one another. The AKL findings thus also ensure transparency in relation to the HEIs’ use of public money.
The AKL provides in particular statements about the costs and performance of the various degree types (bachelor, master, traditional degrees) and takes into account the increasing differentiation between HEIs in the graded study system. The project methodology and external presentation are deliberately designed to produce a high level of data aggregation. The experience with AKL has shown that a discussion of the factors causing cost differences and of different development trends among HEIs can be better promoted by aggregated presentation of the findings rather than detailed presentation.
The states of Berlin, Bremen, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saxony-Anhalt and Schleswig-Holstein are currently participating in the AKL with their state universities. Bielefeld University is also taking part in the comparison by its own interest. The project is funded by the participating states and universities. Representatives of the universities and science ministries of each participating state make the fundamental decisions for the project in a steering group.
The universities and science ministries involved in the AKL receive a comprehensive and detailed set of data as a result of the project. Selected results were published until 2020 in the “Forum Hochschule” series. In future, these reports will be available on the DZHW website. There are also plans for topic-oriented publications in the “DZHW-Brief” series. Special evaluations and reports commissioned from the DZHW by the universities for their own purposes supplement the application-oriented reporting.
The 14th project cycle is currently underway and is scheduled to run until April 30, 2027.