University of Southern Denmark (SDU) shuts door on non-EU applicants

Some 700 international students from non-EU countries will have their applications rejected by the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) this coming February. And this even though they formally meet the admissions criteria. This follows revelations in what has been dubbed the Bangladesh case, which the University Post has covered closely.

READ ALSO: Bangladesh student row escalates — new consultation for minister

There are no plans to slam the door on fee-paying students from non-EU countries at the University of Copenhagen (UCPH) however, according to Prorector for Education Kristian Lauta in a series of email responses to the University Post.

»We are not considering stopping the admission of international students. Our winter intake is very limited.«

Why are you maintaining admissions from these countries, when you are at the same time are also facing challenges with students from Bangladesh?

»UCPH trusts that the government-initiated measures will improve the framework for admissions.«

What does UCPH specifically do to ensure that the international students it admits are able to complete their studies?

»We ensure that those we admit meet the entry requirements — both in terms of academics and language skills. We provide all students at UCPH with equal opportunities to complete our programmes. We aim to offer well-structured, high-quality education, and have confidence in our academic environments’ ability to deliver outstanding programmes.«

Is UCPH also seeing that some students from the countries in question are unable to pay their tuition — and what does this mean for you?

»As far as I am aware, UCPH has not observed any particular patterns related to tuition fee payments. You don’t get a place if you haven’t paid.«

Can UCPH rule out the possibility of halting admissions from specific countries in the future?

»UCPH does not plan to screen applicants based on nationality — unless security concerns or foreign policy interests dictate otherwise. Only quality matters.«

READ ALSO: Surge in Bangladeshi student applications has minister concerned

Surge in applications

The story first broke this summer, when it emerged that thousands of students from Bangladesh were applying to Danish universities and theirby gaining a pathway to the Danish labour market. Students entering the country on a student visa are allowed to work 20 hours a week and bring a spouse who can work full time.

Roskilde University (RUC) had seen a dramatic increase in the number of students from Bangladesh.

According to the Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science fewer than 50 Bangladeshi students came to Denmark to pursue a master’s degree in 2018. That number has since increased by a factor of 20. Students from Bangladesh and Nepal now make up 13 per cent of all international students in Danish master’s programmes.

One of the challenges has been that the students generally perform worse than their peers, and they often apply for the cheapest programmes — as they have to pay tuition out of their own pockets and are not eligible for the Danish SU student grant.

The University Post previously reported that in 2024, UCPH received 1,013 applications from Bangladesh and 190 from Nepal for its master’s programmes, admitting 62 Bangladeshis and seven Nepalese. The following year, the number of applications rose to 1,404 from Bangladesh and 237 from Nepal. In that year’s admissions, 86 applicants from Bangladesh and 19 from Nepal were admitted.

The news media Berlingske has revealed that UCPH had already warned the agency in 2023 about a »huge surge« in applications from Bangladesh and requested guidance.

The University Post will continue to follow this story.

This article was first written in Danish and published on 6 October 2025. It has been translated into English and post-edited by Mike Young.