Surge in Bangladeshi student applications has minister concerned

Thousands of international applications pour into Danish universities every year. Most have traditionally come from Europe, the US, or China. But recent years show a new trend. An increasing number of students from Bangladesh and Nepal are applying to Danish programmes — and they bring new challenges with them.

A student visa doesn’t just give access to lectures and exams: It also opens the door to the labour market — and to bringing your spouse and children with you.

This combination has now triggered concern in the Danish parliament, where politicians fear that the scheme is being misused as a workaround to secure a job in Denmark.

We cannot, of course, accept that study schemes are misused as a backdoor to the labour market

Christina Egelund, Danish Minister for Higher Education and Science

New figures from the Ministry of Higher Education and Science show that four out of five students from Bangladesh and Nepal work alongside their studies, often in low-wage jobs within the hospitality, cleaning and transport sectors. These sectors would not usually grant access to Denmark under the official work schemes due to their pay levels.

Startling numbers

Danish Minister for Higher Education and Science Christina Egelund (Moderates) was summoned to a parliamentary consultation 2 September on the issue.

She focused primarily on the increase in the number of students from Bangladesh, which she described as »striking« and stressed that the trend is problematic:

»There is a growing impression that the real intention behind staying in Denmark is not primarily to study, but to work. And that’s not acceptable. We obviously cannot accept that study schemes are misused as a backdoor to the labour market,« the minister said.

She made it clear that the government will implement specific measures starting from next year’s admissions to close the current loophole.

In addition to the large number of applicants, the ministry’s own investigation also shows significant challenges in terms of completion rates and academic performance among the students from Bangladesh and Nepal who are admitted.

Enticing opportunities with a student visa

International students from non-EU/EEA countries pay their own tuition in Denmark. They do not have access to the Danish student grant (SU), but cover their study costs themselves. A student visa allows them to work 90 hours per month during the semester and full-time during the summer holidays.

If the student brings a partner, the spouse can work in Denmark without restrictions. This means that a student visa can, in practice, open the labour market to two people at once — without them having to meet the requirements of the work visa schemes, where income thresholds and certified employers are crucial factors.

It appears that Denmark generally has lower prices and a more lenient fee structure than other European countries

Christina Egelund, Danish Minister for Higher Education and Science

It is precisely this access to both study and work that makes Denmark attractive to applicants from Bangladesh and Nepal — especially compared to other European countries, where international students often face higher tuition fees or demands for large deposits to obtain a student visa.

The option to bring a spouse on a student visa is one of the aspects the minister promised, during the consultation, to address in time for the 2026 admissions cycle.

Explosive growth in just a few years

The numbers reveal a trend that has accelerated rapidly. As part of the case, the Ministry of Higher Education and Science has conducted a study showing that fewer than 50 Bangladeshi students came to Denmark in 2018 to pursue a master’s degree.

That number has now increased by a factor of 20. Bangladeshi students now make up 13 per cent of all international students beginning a master’s degree in Denmark. In just a few years, Bangladesh has gone from near-invisible to one of the largest international student groups on Danish master’s programmes.

This development is also concerning because it is not matched by similarly strong academic performance. On the contrary, the ministry’s study shows that Bangladeshi students generally perform worse than other international students in terms of grades, study progression, and completion rates.

Studies highlight major issues

In connection with the investigation, the Ministry of Higher Education and Science asked all universities to outline their experiences in this area. Aarhus University reports that 21 per cent of passed exams by Bangladeshi students received the lowest passing grade, 02. Among other international students, the number is just four per cent.

The Technical University of Denmark (DTU) describes low study progression, many re-exams, and a general challenge in getting students through their programmes.

Christina Egelund summed up during the consultation that the problems relate both to language and academic preparedness. Many of the students struggle to understand and speak English at a sufficient level, and several universities also suspect that some exam documents may have been manipulated.

Several universities also believe that the influx is largely driven by agent agencies in the students’ home countries.

These agencies actively advertise that a Danish student visa not only grants access to a university, but also provides open access to the job market — including for a partner.

According to the ministry’s report, it is especially the cheapest programmes that attract these applicants. At the University of Copenhagen, the master’s programme in Europe’s Religious Roots — which has one of the lowest tuition fees — is highlighted as a particularly popular choice among Bangladeshi students.

At the consultation, the minister also emphasised the cost of education:

»It appears that Denmark generally has lower prices and a more lenient fee structure than other European countries,« said Christina Egelund, adding that this is also a factor the government will review.

UCPH flagged its concerns in 2023

The University Post has got access to the latest application figures from Bangladesh and Nepal at the University of Copenhagen by way of a freedom of information request. They show that UCPH is also seeing an increase in applicants from the two countries.

In 2024, UCPH got 1,013 applications from Bangladesh and 190 from Nepal for master’s programmes. Of these, 62 Bangladeshis and seven Nepalese were admitted. The following year, the number of applications increased to 1,404 from Bangladesh and 237 from Nepal. Here, 86 Bangladeshis and 19 Nepalese were admitted.

In its FOI request, University Post had asked for 2020–2025 data. UCPH has only provided figures for the past two years however.

Danish news site Berlingske has since reported that the University of Copenhagen had already, back in 2023, warned the Ministry of Higher Education and Science about a »massive increase« in applications from Bangladesh and asked for guidance.

University Post is still working to gain access to these figures.

It clearly shows that the universities are aware of the challenge, and that they are also actively working to address it

Christina Egelund, Minister for Higher Education and Science

In the University of Copenhagen’s submissions to the ministry, part of the new investigation, it is noted that only 29 per cent of Bangladeshi students at the Faculty of Science passed their first year in 2024. Among all self-financing students, the figure was 62 per cent.

Nationally, the ministry’s report shows that fewer than half — 49 per cent — of students from Bangladesh complete their master’s degree. By way of comparison, the completion rate among students from China, the USA and India is between 81 and 90 per cent.

UCPH has also noted that several students from Bangladesh struggle to pay the full tuition fee. The first instalment is paid as a condition for obtaining a residence permit, but subsequent instalments are often not paid.

Minister: Decline in admissions a positive sign

During the consultation, Christina Egelund pointed to the preliminary data from this year’s admissions process, showing signs of change: despite the increase in applications, the number of admitted students from Bangladesh has fallen by 29 per cent.

»It clearly shows that the universities are aware of the challenge, and that they are also actively working to address it. With the additional measures we will introduce from the side of the government, I am confident that together we will be able to curb this problem,« said Christina Egelund.

This article was first written in Danish and published on 3 September 2025. It has been translated into English and post-edited by Mike Young.