Schneider received his Ph.D. at Berlin in 1910 under the supervision of Schmidt. Completing his habilitation in 1912, Schneider became a lecturer at the University of Bonn, where he in 1914 was appointed an associate professor. Since 1915 he was an associate professor at the University of Berlin. Since 1921, Schneider was Professor of German Language and Literature at the University of Tübingen. After 1945, he was Rector at the University.