Bridging the gap – How effective are remedial math courses in Germany?

•First study investigating causal inference of a math remedial program in Germany.•Microanalysis of a math remedial program with detailed information of the sample.•Semester-long remedial courses can be helpful compensating missing math skills. Almost all German universities complain that the math skills of students entering the higher education system do not meet the level demanded by universities. This is a major problem, particularly in math-related study programs such as economics, engineering or science. To bridge the gap, almost all universities offer some remedial math courses. However, there is only weak empirical evidence for the effectiveness of these courses in Germany. This paper aims to fill this gap by evaluating a remedial math course given within the Economics Department of a German university. A key finding: taking a math remedial course on a regular basis will enhance students' math skills and increase the probability of passing the final math exam by 35 percent.