[barry-cotter]

Prestige. In the US or UK different universities have different levels of prestige. In Germany they don’t. These differences in prestige are a function of differing reputations. German universities don’t generally have highly differentiated reputations. There are real universities and there are Fachhochschule and that’s it. The UK has Oxbridge, the other ancient universities, the redbricks, former polytechnics. Alternately Oxbridge, the rest of the Russell Group, all other universities. In Germany, otoh a degree from Saarbrücken is pretty much as good as one from Heidelberg. Prestige is attached to the highest degree you attained, not where you got it.