Aarhus University has received 9,970 first-choice applications for the university's degree programmes. This represents a modest fall compared to last year.

2021.07.06 | Sinne B. Jakobsen

Almost 10,000 applicants had a degree programme at Aarhus University as their first choice this year. photo: Lars Kruse

The deadline for applying for a higher education degree programme in Denmark expired on 5 July at 12 noon, and preliminary figures show that Aarhus University has received 28,431 applications – including 9,970 first-choice applications. There is a slight fall in applicants of 2 per cent, after a year characterised by extraordinarily high applicant numbers due to the coronavirus pandemic. The same trend is seen at national level.

Pro-Rector Berit Eika is pleased that, once again, so many young people have chosen a degree programme at Aarhus University as their top priority.  

"Last year was an extraordinary year with more applicants than usual due to the coronavirus pandemic, so we had expected a drop in applicants. But the numbers have fallen only slightly, and I'm once again pleased that so many young people are interested in one of the many degree programmes available here at Aarhus University. We hope to be able to offer as many as possible a place on the degree programme of their choice. Academic interest and motivation are key to a good student life, and I'm looking forward to once more welcoming new students to our campus and giving them a good start to their new life as students," says Berit Eika.

Applications to Aarhus University distribute broadly across all faculties. There is an increase in the number of applications for the health science degree programmes as well as for business and social science degree programmes, while the decrease can be attributed to fewer applications for the humanities degree programmes and the natural science and technical degree programmes.

"We would have liked to see an increase in the number of applications for our IT and engineering degree programmes. As a society, we need more competencies in these areas. We’ll therefore continue our work to ensure that even more young people become aware of our broad range of degree programmes within IT and engineering. However, the decline should be seen against a high number of applications for our IT and engineering degree programmes last year, when we had the opportunity to offer more places due to the coronavirus situation," says Berit Eika, emphasising that the number of applicants for the IT and engineering degree programmes is at about the same level as in 2019.

• See the final tally of applications to all degree programmes.

On 28 July, all applicants to Aarhus University will find out if they have been admitted.

Preliminary figures show how applications distribute across the university's various fields of study.

Faculty of Arts (including humanities degree programmes)

The Faculty of Arts has received 7,711 applications, of which 2,574 were first-choice applications. This is fewer than last year. The fall is seen across most of the faculty's degree programmes. Exceptions include archaeology and cognitive science.

Aarhus BSS (degree programmes in business and social sciences)

Aarhus BSS has received 10,138 applications, of which 3,623 were first-choice applications. This corresponds more or less to last year's levels. An increase is seen for psychology and social science, amongst others, while there is a fall for political science.

Faculty of Health (health sciences degree programmes)

The Faculty of Health has received 5,039 applications, of which 1,796 were first-choice applications. This is more than last year. The increase is seen for medicine and dental degree programmes, while a decrease is seen for public health science and sport science.

Faculty of Natural Sciences (natural sciences degree programmes)

The Faculty of Natural Sciences has received 2,607 applications, of which 885 were first-choice applications. This is fewer than last year. The fall is seen for mathematics, chemistry and IT degree programmes, amongst others, while there is an increase in applications for physics and molecular biology, for example.

Faculty of Technical Sciences (technical degree programmes)

The Faculty of Technical Sciences has received 2,936 applications, of which 1,092 were first-choice applications. This is fewer than last year. The fall is seen across all of the faculty's degree programmes with only a few exceptions.

Please note that the number of first-choice applications was adjusted from 9,970 to 9,882 on 7 July when the final tally of applications was available.