Record number of applicants offered places in higher education

Press release July 27

Starting from tonight (July 28), a grand total of 69,526 applicants will be receiving the offer of a place in higher education. The number of applicants admitted this year is a new record: 3,086 more admissions than in the previous record year, 2016. The Minister for Higher Education and Science, Ane Halsboe-Jørgensen, is delighted by this increase.

- It's very satisfying that so many people want to take a course in higher education, and are able to do so. In many ways, this is a very special time, because of COVID-19. More people than in previous years have applied for a place, so I'm delighted that we have been able to offer more places. Almost 70,000 admissions is an all-time record, so you're looking at a Minister for Education and Science who is really happy about this on behalf of Denmark as a whole, adds Ane Halsboe-Jørgensen.

More applicants for courses in IT, engineering and welfare-related subjects

Due to the COVID-19 situation, it was expected that more people would apply for places in higher education this year. In June, therefore, the government, together with all the parties in Parliament, allocated funds allowing educational institutions to create 5,000 extra study places in 2020 and 2021, including 500 extra places in those important welfare-related subjects. This strategy has already paid off: an increase this year over 2019 of 510 admissions to four of the major welfare-related degree programmes: Social Education, Nursing, Teaching and Social Work.
In total, more than one in five applicants have been offered a place on welfare-related degree programmes. Admissions to Social Education have increased for the first time in four years, while admissions to Nursing have increased for the fourth year in a row, and this is very important, as the Minister for Education and Science emphasises:

- It's really positive that we have turned minus to plus in terms of admissions to Social Education, which has been the object of massive investments. We want Denmark to be the best country in the world for a child to grow up in, so we really need more highly skilled social educators. At the same time, we see historically high admissions to Nursing, which in the end can only improve patient contact within the healthcare system, adds Ane Halsboe-Jørgensen.

Admission to STEM programmes (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) have also increased this year, by 1,380 to be precise, corresponding to an increase of nine percent. The increase in admissions to STEM programmes is therefore higher than the general increase in admissions.

- We need people with IT or engineering skills, both in terms of climate change mitigation and to help Danish industry find new digital solutions. That is why I am so delighted that we can offer many more young people a place on the STEM programmes, comments Ane Halsboe-Jørgensen.

Rejected applicants receive additional guidance

Approximately 4 out of 5 applicants will be admitted to their first priority this year. However, as in previous years, there are also applicants who have not been offered a place on the courses to which they have applied. This may partly be due to the fact that they have only applied to one, or just a few, courses that have a limited number of places. In all, 10,686 qualified applicants have not been admitted to their preferred course of studies. About half of these have only applied for one course. There are still vacancies in many places. The unsuccessful applicants will in the rejection letter be offered guidance with Studievalg Danmark and eVejledning

- Fortunately, most applicants been offered a place on the course of their choice. On the other hand some courses do not have enough places for all applicants. So this year a united Parliament made exactly the right decision by allocating more funds to provide extra places. Had we not done so, we would have had to reject even more applicants with the right qualifications. But many higher education courses up and down the country still have vacancies.  So if you haven't got in, don't lose heart, says Ane Halsboe-Jørgensen.

After the winter round of admissions 2020/2021, we will evaluate the results of the political agreement to provide 5,000 extra study places. However, it will still be possible to be admitted to one of these places in 2021.

Important dates in connection with admission to higher education

• July 28: All applicants will be informed of the result of their application. KOT (Coordinated Admission) key figures 2020 will be made public at 00.01 on ufm.dk/optag/kot (only in Danish)
• July 28: Vacant study programmes that can still be applied for can be found on ufm.dk/optag/ledige-pladser (only in Danish)
• July 28 and onwards: As a result of the political agreement about more study places, extra guidance will be offered over the summer and in the late admissions period, including an active outreach effort targeting applicants who were rejected in the first place. All rejected applicants will receive a letter offering them extra guidance, plus information about available places.  Rejected applicants might also receive a personal text message offering guidance with Studievalg Danmark. 
• September 1: most courses start (some start on February 1).
• October 2020: Numbers of late admissions to courses with vacancies, admissions to standby places and the number of those who have refused a study place.

Facts: Applications and admissions in 2020

• The total number of applications was 94,604.
• 69,526 will on July 28 be offered a study place on a course of higher education.
• 81 percent of successful applicants will be admitted to their first priority. 19 percent will be admitted to another course of education for which they have applied.
• 38,948 have been admitted to a business academy or professional bachelor's degree programme. 30,578 have been admitted to a bachelor's degree programme. Business academy degree programmes account for the largest percentage increase in admissions (9 percent).
• Approximately 16,000 (23 percent) of those admitted (24 percent in 2019) are under 21 years of age.

• This year's applications and admissions (only in Danish)
• Rejection letter and vacant study places
• Further information for students about admissions and guidance options

For more information, contact:

Press inquiries to the Minister of Higher Education and Science, Ane Halsboe-Jørgensen: the Ministry's press line: 7231 8181.

Inquiries regarding admission statistics and Coordinated Admissions: Danish Agency for Science and Higher Education, Head of Division Jens Storm, 7231 7982, jst@ufm.dk.