Ageism in German universities. Challenges faced by older students.

Autor/inn/en	Gerdes, Frederike; Naegele, Laura; Ordemann, Jessica; Hess, Moritz
Titel	Ageism in German universities. Challenges faced by older students.
Quelle	In: Educational gerontology, 51 (2025) 12, S. 1353-1360Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Link als defekt meldenVerfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1521-0472
DOI	10.1080/03601277.2025.2522392
Schlagwörter	Studienverhalten; Fortbildung; Seniorenstudium; Studentenschaft
Abstract	Ageism in universities - meaning unequal treatment of students based on their (older) chronological age - is seldom discussed in the context of higher education. This is primarily due to the inherent chrononormative understanding that higher education systems mainly prepare young people for the labor market. However, due to demographic trends, shifting social norms and promoting lifelong learning educational trajectories are more diverse than ever, resulting in an increasingly age-diverse student demographic. By defying chrononormative expectations of the 'right age' for higher education, older students may face discrimination and unequal treatment from peers or university staff. This research note explores six forms of age discrimination, offering a nuanced description of the phenomenon of ageism in higher education while utilizing data from the 'Students Survey in Germany' (2021), a dataset that offers insights into a field - higher education - that has so far been little considered in the study of ageism. Our sample contains 4,811 students, 300 of whom are older, which we define as 30 years and older. Using logistic regression models, we find that older students have a stronger feeling of being excluded or disregarded but less often receive unwelcome sexual remarks or comments. Our results highlight the prevalence of ageism at German universities, informing policies to counter age-based biases, make higher education more accessible to students of all ages, and emphasize the need for more focus on ageism in higher education research. (HRK / Abstract übernommen).
Erfasst von	Hochschulrektorenkonferenz, Bonn
Update	2026/1