The article topicalizes the interdependencies between enrollment prerequi-sites, study programs offered, and the individual use of the courses, as well as the struc-ture and development of educational-scientific knowledge in the field of university-based teacher training. The study is based on data collected through a census survey carried out in North Rhine-Westphalia among 3.273 trainee teachers at the beginning of their in-ternship; in this survey, a standardized test of knowledge was used to capture the educational-scientific knowledge. Substantial differences in knowledge between Student teachers and lateral entrants confirm the general effect of study courses on the development of educational-scientific knowledge. However, formal university-related factors (specificity of the Institution or type of study-course structure) are of only moderate effect on the development of knowledge in the course of university-based teacher training.