Combining both is also pretty common in my experience. People frist do an apprenticeship, then, for example because their employment situation changed, they go to university. There are ways for a apprenticeship to qualifiy one to go for university.

In 2024, according to the "Bundesinstituts für Berufsbildung" 486,700 people started their apprenticeship [0]. In the same period (2024-2025) 490,304 people started their first semester at university/college, according to the "Statistisches Bundesamt" [1].

So you are right, theres more new students than apprentices, but its not by a lot.

[0]: https://www.bibb.de/de/201811.php [1]: https://www.destatis.de/DE/Themen/Gesellschaft-Umwelt/Bildun...