After sending out the second notification of selection results, fresh statistics from the Swedish Agency for Higher Education Services (VHS) indicate that the number of applicants offered a place in an international master’s or bachelor’s course or programme starting this autumn has decreased from previous years. In total, 8,693 students have indicated that they wish to keep the place they were offered in March to a course or programme beginning autumn semester 2011.
Large decrease in the number of applications and offers
The Swedish government made the decision to begin charging application and tuition fees to students from outside the EU/EEA. Fees were introduced for students applying to courses and programmes beginning in the autumn semester 2011. The move to fees is considered a contributing factor in the large decrease in applicants. The number of applicants offered a place has decreased by two-thirds from last year, with 6,903 accepted to an international master’s programme and 1,790 accepted to an international course or programme at the bachelor’s level
”The introduction of application and tuition fees has resulted in fewer total applicants, but the reform has also reduced the number of applications from students not truly interested in studying in Sweden”, said Andreas Sandberg, Coordinator of Admissions Production. “The percentage of qualified applicants from the entire applicant pool has actually increased from last year.”
“The next step is to see how many of those who were offered a place actually pay their tuition fee by the 15 June deadline. After that date, we can get a much clearer picture of how many international students will begin studies here in the autumn,” said Andreas Sandberg.
MASTER autumn semester 2010,
total admitted, second selection |
19 588 |
(100 %) |
MASTER autumn semester 2011,
total admitted, second selection |
6 903 |
(100 %) |
| Change |
-12 685 |
(-65 %) |
BACHELOR’S autumn 2010, total admitted,
second selection* |
1 790 |
(100 %) |
|
*) There was only one selection round for bachelor’s level courses and programmes in 2010 and therefore nothing to compare with. |
For more information, please contact:
Andreas Sandberg
Telephone: +46 (0)8-50 58 95 80
VHS Press Service
Telephone: +46 (0)8-725 96 91 or press@vhs.se.