This monograph on higher education in the German Federal Republic aims to describe the contemporary scene through a detailed look at structure, finance, research, studies and teaching, students, faculty, and international relations. Organized into nine chapters, the first, "Historical Development and Current Responsibilities," describes medieval and classical traditions, the developments in the Federal Republic, and the current tasks of higher education. Chapter 2, "The Structure of the Higher Education System," looks at institutional types, disciplines, regional institutions, and internal organization. Chapter 3 is titled and discusses "Finance, Planning, and Administration." Chapter 4, "The Role of Research," covers funding and non-university research as well as the importance of research to the university activity. The fifth chapter, "The Organization of Studies and Teaching," focuses primarily on the re-organization that has taken place in the past 25 years. The students--their social profile, life, professional plans, and the job market--are the topic of the sixth chapter. Chapter 7 describes the academic staff and their recruitment. Chapter 8 details the wide variety of international links maintained among institutions, scholars, and students. The final chapter forecasts trends for the future based on current patterns and recent developments. Included are 19 tables, 10 figures, a list of key institutions and 72 references. (JB)