Student organisation: Applicant numbers reveal damage by politicians

The University of Copenhagen can welcome 7,215 new students who have been offered a place on one of its bachelor programmes. This is a half of a per cent increase over last year.

A total 12,686 people applied for a bachelor’s degree programme at UCPH as their first priority — an acceptance rate of 56.9 percent.

»I’m very happy that there are so many people who want to study here. It shows that we have exciting study programmes that match applicants’ interests. And every year I look forward to welcoming them all to the beginning of their university life,« says Prorector for Education, Kristian C. Lauta in a press release.

Nationwide, 61,351 applicants have been offered a place on a higher education degree programme. This is on line with the 2023 numbers.

At Denmark’s eight universities, a total of 30,569 applicants have been offered a student place, which is an increase of 0.8 percent compared to last year.

Two new study programmes fully booked

The University of Copenhagen takes particular note of the fact that two new study programmes – the medicine programme in the suburban town of Køge and the bioinformatics programme – have got off to a good start and are both fully booked after the summer holidays.

A total of 1,877 have applied for medicine in Køge, which has space for 130 students. Bioinformatics received 209 applications for 44 study places.

On this programme, students learn to analyse and handle large amounts of biological data in areas like health, food, climate and artificial intelligence.

Student organisations: Politicians need to think twice

A 0.8 per cent increase in admissions to Danish universities should be seen in the context of the number of applications to universities increasing by 4.1 per cent.

According to Esben Bjørn Salmonsen, chairman of the National Union of Students in Denmark, the increase actually reflects young people’s opposition to the government’s university reform, which shortens several master’s degree programmes.

If this year’s applicants had postponed their applications until next year, one in four of them would have been affected by the new rules.

»Young people do not want to have the lower quality education that is the result of the master’s degree reform. This is why so many people are rushing in before the door slams on them in turns of getting a quality education. It shows that politicians should stop and think carefully about increasing the quality of education rather than lowering it,« says Esben Bjørn Salmonsen in a press release.

Language programmes are suffering

This year, at the national level, the number of students admitted to degree programmes in languages is down by ten per cent, a continuation of the declining trend.

Minister for Education Christina Egelund (Moderates Party) takes note of the fact that fewer people are applying for language programmes.

»Even though kindergarten teachers and nurses are the largest education programmes, fewer and fewer people are opting to take this path. Just like fewer are being admitted to, say, French or German programmes.«

»On the other hand, educational institutions are being forced to reject qualified applicants to degree programmes where there is a demand for places, including international students.«

»There is, in other words, still a need for educational reforms that can contribute to a more educated workforce and a better balance in the education landscape,« the minister states in a press release.