A longitudinal analysis of research dynamics at German public and private universities

Abstract This study examines the dynamics of the German university system, focusing on the competition between public and private universities and the impact of institutional boundaries. Utilizing concepts from competition theory, we conceive a framework to explore universities’ research-related resource and product measures over two decades. We find that public universities have larger faculties and greater access to public funding, while private universities exhibit faster growth in research productivity. Despite their initial disadvantages, private universities have outpaced public universities in publication quantity and quality since 2010. Competition for research funding, talent, and reputation is central to both types of institutions, with public universities securing more highly competitive third-party funding. Our research indicates that both types of universities have led to a form of institutional isomorphism, where both public and private universities are increasingly converging in their strategies regarding publication outcome and personal recruitment, but not in funding.