More students admitted to education programmes with good employment prospects

65,298 applicants have been accepted to a higher education programme this year - an increase of 2 per cent on 2014.

Increased admission is greatest on programmes aimed at the private sector which have good post-education job opportunities.

Minister for Higher Education and Science Esben Lunde Larsen is pleased with the development.

- Education is the path to good and challenging work life. It provides us with freedom and the opportunity to contribute to our common society. This year's admission shows an important trend of looking towards increased employment - one which we hope will continue, says  Esben Lunde Larsen.

In the economics and commerce, and technical fields, in business academy and professional bacelor's degree programmes, there have been respective increases of 11 and 10 per cent. Technical sciences at the bachelor's degree level saw an increase of 4 per cent.

In comparison to 2014, 9 per cent more students have been accepted to bachelor of engineering programmes, while there is a 4 per cent increase in master's engineering programmes.

A number of central welfare education programmes have also experienced a positive development. For example, 6 per cent more students have been accepted to teacher training programmes than in 2014.

The overall IT field has experienced a 19 per cent decrease in the number of students accepted compared to 2014. This is primarily seen on IT progammes associated with high unemployment rates. However, there have been increased admittance to computer science and computer engineering prograames, which are central IT programmes with good employment prospects. Therefore, admittance is adjusting to meet labour market demand.

Within the design field in business academy and professional bachelor's degree programmes have experienced a 13 per cent reduction in students accepted. There were alse 3 per cent fewer students accepted to humanties bachelor's programmes.

Growth in business academy and bachelor's programmes in 2015 remains relatively unchanged since 2014, while there was an increase of 5 per cent on professional bachelor's degree programmes.

The amount of students accepted to professional bachelor's degree programmes has increased by 50 per cent between 2007 and 2015, while there was an increase of 36 per cent on bachelor's degrees. Admittance to business academy programmes has almost doubled in the same period.

- Graduates from business academies are important contributors to raising the education level in the private sector and in SMEs across the country. I am therefore pleased with the significantly increased intake to these prograames in recent years. I would also like to highlight the positive development of increased interest in teacher training programmes, as well as other welfare education programmes, says Esben Lunde Larsen.

Higher education admission

30 July: All applicants receive a reply to their application. Ministry of Higher Education and Science publishes main figures from Coordinated Admission System at www.ufm.dk/optag.

30 July: Available places: Programmes with vacant places still open to applications can be found at ufm.dk/en/education-and-institutions/admission-and-guidance/study-places-available/Study-place

1 September: Most programmes begin (a number of programmes also have a 1 February starting point). October: The results of the 2nd round of admissions and the overall admission figures are reported. Between the 1st and 2nd rounds, some applicants will decline their offered places, while others will apply for vacant places.

Application and admission in 2015

The total number of applications was 93,924. As of 30 July, 65,298 applicants were offered a place in higher education programmes.

Application and admission in 2014

The total number of applications was 90,933. As of 30 July 64,180 applicants were offered a place in higher education programmes. As of 1 October, 65,094 applicants had started on a programme of higher education.

For further information please contact:

Press and communication officer Ingeborg Nielsen, tel: +45 72318654, e-mail: imen@uds.dk

Head of division Jens Storm, Statistics and Analysis tel: +45 7231 7982, e-mail: jst@uds.dk