Information about the school system in Nordrhein-Westfalen, also in different languages can be found here: https://www.schulministerium.nrw.de/docs/Schulsystem/index.html
There are state schools in the majority. Some schools are in ecclesiastical sponsorship, but awarded the state-recognized degrees. There are some private schools that charge different levels of school fees (https://www.schulministerium.nrw.de/docs/Schulsystem/Schulformen/Privatschulen/index.html).
After primary school, there are five secondary school types:
Hauptschule
The Hauptschule comprises the grades 5 to 10. The Hauptschule gives its pupils a basic general education and an individual vocational orientation. The following qualifications may be obtained: lower secondary school certificate (Vocational Education Maturity) after class 9 or class 10 and Middle Maturity after class 10. Pupils with particularly good achievements in the Middle Maturity qualify for the attendance of the upper secondary school
https://www.schulministerium.nrw.de/docs/Schulsystem/Schulformen/Hauptschule/index.html.
Realschule
Realschule comprises the grades 5 to 10. It provides their pupils with an extended general education and a general vocational orientation. The following qualifications can be obtained: lower secondary school certificate (Vocational Education Maturity) after class 9 or class 10 and Middle Maturity after class 10. Pupils with particularly good achievements in the Middle Maturity qualify for the attendance of the upper secondary school
https://www.schulministerium.nrw.de/docs/Schulsystem/Schulformen/Realschule/index.html
Secondary School
The secondary school covers grades 5 to 10. Here, the pupils are prepared for both a vocational training and the university entrance qualification. An early and practical career orientation is one of the educational priorities of every secondary school. In secondary school pupils can obtain the vocational maturity after class 9 or the middle school graduation after class 10. A middle school graduation with particularly good achievements entitles pupils to attend the upper secondary level https://www.schulministerium.nrw.de/docs/Schulsystem/Schulformen/Sekundarschule/index.html.
Comprehensive School
The comprehensive school works with children and young people of all abilities and keeps career decisions open for as long as possible. Comprehensive school includes grades 5 to 10 in lower secondary and upper grades 11 to 13 in upper secondary level. All lower secondary and upper secondary degrees may be obtained at the Comprehensive School: lower secondary school certificate (Vocational Education Maturity) after class 9 or class 10, Middle Maturity after class 10 and the general higher education entrance qualification (Abitur) according to class 13 (https://www.schulministerium.nrw.de/docs/Schulsystem/Schulformen/Gesamtschule/index.html).
Gymnasium
Gymnasium covers the grades 5 to 12 and provides students with a broad and in-depth general education, which usually leads to general university entrance qualification after 12 school years. From school year 2019/2020, grammar schools again will have the option to offer a high school graduation after 13 school years (G9).
At Gymnasium, all lower secondary and upper secondary qualifications can be obtained: lower secondary school certificate (Vocational Education Maturity) after grade 9 or 10, Middle Maturity after class 10 and the general university entrance qualification after class 12. https://www.schulministerium.nrw.de/docs/Schulsystem/Schulformen/Gymnasium/index.html
Vocational schools
At VET schools, young people have diverse opportunities for vocational training and the opportunity to obtain various educational degrees. This can be done before, during or after vocational training as well as in other specialized educational programs.
In Nordrhein-Westfalen, the individual types of vocational schools are summarized under the term vocational college (Berufskolleg) (https://www.berufsbildung.nrw.de/cms/bildungsgaenge-bildungsplaene/uebersicht/index.html).
The brochure "The Vocational College in Nordrhein-Westfalen" gives a good overview: https://broschueren.nordrheinwestfalendirekt.de/herunterladen/der/datei/broschuere-berufskolleg-2016-druckfassung-pdf/von/das-berufskolleg-in-nordrhein-westfalen/vom/msb/2753.
Vocational high school
The vocational high school in the fields of nutrition, design, health and social, computer science, technology and economics and administration provides an in-depth general education and professional skills in the chosen subject area and leads in a three-year course at the end of grade 13 to the Abitur, the general university entrance qualification.
In a double qualifying variant, in addition to the Baccalaureate after grade 13 in the following grade 14, the vocational examination for the state-certified assistant / state-certified assistant in the chosen subject area can also be taken (https://www.berufsbildung.nrw.de/cms/bildungsgaenge-bildungsplaene/berufliches-gymnasium-anlage-d/beschreibung-der-bildungsgaenge/beschreibung.html#qualiab)
Vocational School (Berufsschule)
Young people attend vocational school during their vocational training and learn vocational and general skills (Dual education). The vocational school usually takes three years. With completion of the training and the vocational school, the pupils receive a degree in the respective vocational training and a vocational school degree.
Under certain conditions the acquisition of the middle school degree, the acquisition of the permission to attend the upper secondary school and the acquisition of the university of applied science entrance qualification are possible at the vocational school (https://www.berufsbildung.nrw.de/cms/bildungsgaenge-bildungsplaene/fachklassen-duales -system conditioning-a / berufsschule.html).
Specialist vocational school (Berufsfachschule)
The specialist vocational school provides pupils with graduation from “Hauptschule” (vocational maturity) with professional knowledge, skills and abilities to take up vocational training or to take up gainful employment. In full-time vocational training in recognized training occupations, pupils have the opportunity to earn a vocational degree. In the programs of the specialist vocational school also the middle school degree and the university of applied science entrance qualification can be acquired.
Classes up to the desired degree take one to three years (https://www.berufsbildung.nrw.de/cms/bildungsgaenge-bildungsplaene/uebersicht/index.html).
Fachoberschule
The “Fachoberschule” builds on a middle school degree and provides
advanced general education and work-related knowledge, skills and abilities. The “Fachoberschule” awards the university of applied science entrance qualification after passing the final exam.
Those who have completed vocational training can further qualify and can obtain the university of applied science entrance qualification or the general university entrance qualification (https://www.berufsbildung.nrw.de/cms/bildungsgaenge-bildungsplaene/fachoberschule-anlage-c/fachoberschule-anlage-c.html