Today, Samordna admissions publishes the applicant figures for the country’s universities and colleges for the coming academic year. The figures show that more and more people have studies at the world’s northernmost university as their first choice. Apart from the two pandemic years, the number of first-priority applicants this year is the highest ever for UiT.
– UiT is perceived as a sought-after educational institution with a relevant study offer, whether you come here as a fresh student from upper secondary school or want to top up later in your career, says vice-chancellor Kathrine Tveiterås.
More people want flexible studies
Regarding the list of the most popular studies at UiT in relation to the number of study places available, little has changed from last year. The number of applicants for popular studies in aviation, psychology, paramedicine, law and medicine remains high.
Furthermore, more and more people are applying for flexible studies, which make it easier to combine work and home with studies at UiT.
– In line with our social mission, we are working to make a larger part of the study offer more flexible. How we acquire new skills is changing. Flexible studies and part-time studies, which make it possible to study in different phases of life, will therefore be part of the study portfolio of the future, says Tveiterås.
The online one-year studies in management and business economics as well as UiT’s online bachelor’s in economics and administration have a total of 2,584 first-priority applicants.
Nursing is increasing
Over several years, educational institutions around the country have seen a decline in applicants for teacher education and healthcare education – and there especially nursing studies.
This year, however, there is an increase of 13.1 per cent in first-priority applicants for the nursing courses that UiT offers through Coordinated admissions. On a national basis, the increase is 10.3 per cent. Bachelor in Nursing in Hammerfest has received 69 first priority applicants, an increase of just over 60 per cent from last year. In Hammerfest, students can also look forward to 1 January 2025. Then UiT will move into New Hammerfest Hospital, where 3,800 square meters of state-of-the-art teaching premises await.
– It is very great that the number of applicants to nursing is increasing, we need that to be able to train healthcare personnel that society needs, says Tveiterås.
Fewer will become teachers – but good numbers of applicants to Narvik
The teacher education programs are still struggling to attract new students. At UiT, the decrease in the number of applicants is 13 per cent compared to 2023. On a national basis, the decrease is 4.2 per cent.
From the autumn, UiT will start up with group-based primary school teacher training for 1st – 7th graders. steps in Narvik. The brand new offer has 53 first-priority applicants for its 30 study places.
– In the last three years, we have had admissions to primary school teacher training 1-7 in Harstad, Finnsnes and now Narvik respectively, and with good numbers of applicants all three years, says Tveiterås
Succeeds with strategic ventures
In Kirkenes, UiT’s new bachelor’s program in security and preparedness is well received with its 100 first-priority applicants. Tveiterås is very satisfied with:
– This study offer has been put in place based on special funds from the government and the needs in the east of the country. It’s great to see that it hits so many applicants!
In line with UiT’s strategy, the university works to strengthen expertise around Sami and Kven relations.
– Our year’s study Northern Sami from beginner level had 47 applicants for the last admission in 2022. This year there are 87 applicants who have put the study at the top, an increase of 85 per cent. The study has 30 study places, and is on the list of the UiT studies with the most applicants per study place. At the same time, the Master in Sami language and literature has 16 first-priority applicants, an increase of 10 from last year.
Decrease, but more applicants from the EU
In addition to the figures from Samordna Opttak, the figures from local master’s admissions are clear. There are a total of 3,666 Nordic first-priority applicants to UiT, an increase of 12 per cent from last year. Here, the number of applicants can admittedly vary slightly from year to year because some master’s programs only have admissions every two years. At the same time, there is a sharp drop in international applicants for master’s courses – 1,181 applicants compared to 4,850 last year.
– The introduction of tuition fees is still causing us to lose many applicants. All the more gratifying is that the number of applicants from the EU – where there is no tuition fee – has roughly doubled since last year, says Tveiterås.
Most popular studies
UiT has 11 campuses in northern Norway from Mo i Rana in the south, to Longyearbyen in the north and Kirkenes in the east. Outside Tromsø, Alta, Harstad and Narvik are the three largest campuses.
Several of UiT’s popular online courses are administered from Alta. In addition, the group-based bachelor in social work has 75 first-priority applicants, an increase of 56 per cent from last year.
In Narvik, several of the engineering courses are experiencing an increase in the number of applicants. For example, the bachelor’s degree in engineering, satellite technology, has an increase in first-priority applicants of close to 53 per cent.
In Harstad, the group-based bachelor in child protection has an increase of 44 per cent in first priority applicants compared to last year.
Based on the number of first-choice applicants, these are the most popular studies at UiT this year in Samordna admissions:
Bachelor
• Economics and administration (online): 794 applicants for 300 study places
• Nursing, Tromsø: 284 applicants for 145 study places
• Aviation subjects: 248 applicants for 12 study places
Masters
• Jurisprudence: 642 applicants for 205 study places
• Odontology: 91 applicants for 40 study places
Professional studies
• Medicine: 446 applicants for 181 study places
• Psychology: 425 applicants for 49 study places
Annual study
• Management: 1,385 applicants for 800 study places
• Business economics: 405 applicants for 400 study places
The studies that are most difficult to get into are:
• Aviation subject 248 applicants for 12 places (20.7 per place)
• Psychology: 425 applicants for 49 study places (8.7 per place)
• Paramedicine: 207 applicants for 26 study places (8.0 per place)
• Jurisprudence: 642 applicants for 150 study places (4.3 per place)
• Engineer, computer technology, Narvik: 165 applicants for 40 study places (4.1 per place)
• Physiotherapy: 145 applicants for 45 study places (3.2 per place)
• International readiness: 177 applicants for 55 study places (3.2 per place)
• Engineer, process technology, Narvik: 48 applicants for 15 study places (3.2 per place)
• Dental care: 36 applicants for 12 study places (3.0 per place)
• Northern Sami from beginner level: 87 applicants for 30 study places (2.9 per place)
Number of applicants to UiT’s various campuses (figures for 2023 in brackets):
• Tromsø: 5027 (4980)
• Alta, including several online studies: 2889 (2541)
• Harstad: 479 (588)
• Narvik: 483 (415)
