University of Copenhagen eyes broader intake as applicants opt for quota 2 process

The latest figures for this year’s quota 2 applications to the University of Copenhagen (UCPH) are in — and they’ve brought a smile to the face of Rie Snekkerup, Vice-Provost for UCPH Education Services:

»The numbers look really promising. We’re seeing an increase in the number of quota 2 applicants, which bodes well for this year’s admissions,« says the Vice-Provost.

In the Danish system, quota 2 university admissions are based on an individual assessment of the applicant’s qualifications, while quota 1 is solely based on grade point average (see box right).

This year, a total of 21,754 people applied for admission to a UCPH programme through quota 2 — that’s 9.2 per cent more than last year. There’s also been a 7.2 per cent increase in those who applied for a UCPH programme as their first choice.

The next generation is looking towards programmes that deal with welfare, climate and sustainability

Rie Snekkerup, Deputy Director of UCPH Education

The biggest increase in applications has been seen at the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Law. Law has seen a 16 per cent increase in applicants compared to last year, and Science has had a 14 per cent rise.

»It’s also quite interesting to dig into the individual degree programmes. For example, we’ve seen an increase in programmes like Public Health Science and Biochemistry,« says Rie Snekkerup, adding:

»I think this reflects a trend where the next generation is looking towards programmes that deal with welfare, climate and sustainability.«

Differences in quota 2 admissions

UCPH is »very pleased« with applicants applying through quota 2, according to Rie Snekkerup, because they tend to be older, more experienced, and contribute to a more diverse student population.

There is a large variation in how many students each programme admits via quota 2 however,  according to Rie Snekkerup.

Most degree programmes admit only ten per cent of their students via quota 2, but on the medical programme in Køge, 50 per cent of students are admitted this way. The same applies to the Forestry and Landscape Engineer programme, while Landscape Architecture and Classical Greek and Latin admit 30 per cent of students through quota 2.

Open house events a hit

In addition to the increase in quota 2 applications, UCPH also broke a record this year for the number of visitors at its open house events. A total of 9,555 people attended open house events this year, compared to 8,616 in 2024.

Prospective students are making more informed decisions about where they want to begin their studies — and this leads to a lower dropout rate

Rie Snekkerup, Deputy Director of UCPH Education

»It’s great that so many people come to visit and get a real sense of what kind of university we are. It’s a good way to explore what kind of education you want to pursue,« says Snekkerup. She adds:

»This means that prospective students are making more informed decisions about where they want to begin their studies — and this leads to a lower dropout rate. That kind of thing helps create a really good study environment.«

Grade requirements on quota 1 unchanged

This summer, the University of Southern Denmark will raise the minimum grade requirement for quota 1 admission to 7. According to rector Jens Ringmose, this is because the university has so far admitted too many students who lacked the ability to complete their programmes, he told the Danish media Politiken.

But at the University of Copenhagen, the plan is still to maintain the current quota 1 grade requirement of 6, says Rie Snekkerup.

»I expect the average admission grades to go up this year, since we’re seeing rising application numbers while also reducing the number of available places,« she says, adding:

»So we don’t believe there’s any need to adjust the grade requirement. It’s also worth noting that even though some programmes have admitted all applicants in recent years, the average grade of those admitted is still high. You just can’t see that from the lists published in the media.«