Quota 2 applications are on the increase: figures suggest a gradual normalisation after COVID-19

This year, 51,944 applicants have chosen to apply for a place in higher education on the basis of qualifications other than average grade scores alone. This is the status after the deadline for applying for a place in higher education via quota 2 expired at 12 noon today.
 
This year, the number of applicants has increased by 6 per cent compared to quota 2 applications in 2022. Applications are therefore almost at the 2019 pre-COVID-19 level. This must be seen in light of the fact that applications fell sharply after the COVID-19 years,  2020 and 2021, when an extraordinarily large number of people applied for and were admitted to higher education programmes while society and the country's borders were largely shut down.
 
The increase in the number of applicants is especially due to an increase in the number of applicants to university courses and to a certain extent to business academies. Moreover, more foreigners have applied for higher education programmes in Denmark - perhaps a sign that the world is beginning to open up again.
 
While the general number of applicants has increased, Quota 2 applications for Social Education and Social Worker programmes in particular have declined, though Teacher Education has seen a slight increase. Compared to 2022, the number of applicants for Social Education programmes has decreased by 10 per cent, while Social Worker programmes have seen a 16 per cent decrease. Applications for Nursing still remain at a level lower than usual.  
 
The total number of applicants for a place in higher education will be published on 5 July 2023 - the deadline for applications for admission via quota 1, which is based solely on average grade scores.

The Minister for Higher Education and Science, Christina Egelund comments:

First and foremost, I am pleased that so many young people have seized the opportunity to apply for a place in higher education, showing that step by step we are gradually moving on from the COVID-19 situation, which did not encourage young people to seek further education. On the other hand, I am worried, for example, by the lack of applications for the Social Education and Social Worker programmes. This convinces me that we have to do something to encourage more people to choose these paths. It also confirms my view that we are right in our educational reform programme to single out the professional social welfare degree programmes as specially important. There is a task here which we by pulling together quite simply have to do better.

Director General of the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science, Mikkel Leihardt, comments:

We have seen a slight increase in Quota 2 applications. This indicates a return to normal after a couple of years in which applications were clearly affected by COVID-19. The lockdown of society and the limited opportunities, for example, for foreign travel and employment abroad resulted in record intakes in 2020 and 2021 - followed by a decline in 2022. The Quota 2 application figure points in the right direction for applications in general, but we still have to wait for the Quota 1 applications later in the year to get the full application picture for this year.

Facts

Quota 2 applicants are assessed on the basis of factors other than average High School grade scores alone. Educational institutions award places after an individual assessment of each applicant, applying selection criteria that differ from programme to programme.

For further information:

Please direct press inquiries to the press team of the Ministry of Higher Education and Science on +45 7231 8181, or to presse@ufm.dk.