Many applicants and a record number of offers – a particularly large increase in nursing, history and economics

If one disregards the corona years, there have never been more applicants for higher education. In total, there are 2.2 applicants per study place. Applicants can choose from a wider offer than ever before: 64,086 study places at 27 universities and colleges throughout the country.

Record number of study places at universities, colleges and vocational schools

– Many have applied for higher education this year. It is good for the individual, for Norwegian society and working life. Lack of skills is a major challenge in Norway. That is why I am happy that even more people are ready to get an education and build a good life for themselves and a good future for us all. I am particularly pleased with the large increase in applications for nursing courses, says Research and Higher Education Minister Oddmund Hoel (Sp).

Applications to vocational schools are also increasing significantly. This year there are almost 2,300 more applicants than last year, an increase of around 17 per cent. A total of 15,742 people applied for vocational school education through Samordna admissions, and never before have there been more study places to apply for.

– This year’s search figures are good. Tala gives us valuable insight into the applicants’ interests and wishes. We also see that the institutions are further developing their educational offerings. They offer both new subject combinations and more flexible studies, and both attract many applicants, says director of the Directorate for Higher Education and Skills, Sveinung Skule.

Increase in nursing – 900 more first-choice applicants this year

This year, the health and social studies programs have a combined increase in first-choice applicants of 5.9 per cent, compared to last year. This gives 2.7 first-choice applicants per planned study place. Several of the courses, including medicine, have particularly good applications.

– The most positive thing about this year’s figures is that the negative trend in applications for nursing education is reversing, after several years of decline. Now more people want to become nurses in Norway! That over 900 more people have nursing as their first choice this year says quite a lot about Norwegian youth. It shows that we have young people who are willing to stand up for others and for society, says Hoel.

The number of applicants also shows an increase in applications to child protection courses, with 6 per cent more applicants this year than last year.

Fewer will become teachers in primary and secondary schools

For the fifth year in a row, the number of applications for teacher training courses fell, but not as dramatically as last year. The number of first-choice applicants to the teacher education programs has decreased by 4.2 per cent from 2023.

The decline is particularly critical for primary school teacher training courses for grades 1–7. and 5–10 steps. There, the number of first-choice applicants is down by 11 and 12 per cent from last year.

– Other applications for the primary school teacher training programs continue to apply. It is a development that gives cause for concern. Since 2018, applications for these courses have almost halved. I fear that some study places may end up being empty in the autumn, says Hoel.

Take action to increase recruitment

The government is well aware of the recruitment challenges for teacher education, so this spring it put forward a strategy together with the parties in kindergarten and school Norway. In addition, measures proposed in the reports to the Storting on admissions to higher education and professional education should contribute to more successful teacher training in the future.

– I am convinced that it is right to think again. Those who defend the status quo in Norwegian teacher education with their skin and hair are having a bad day today. With the admission notice and the professional notice, we have proposed to take several measures to think anew – we want, among other things, to open up more dispensations from the grade requirement, we want to give more academic freedom and we are positive about experiments with organization and content, says Hoel.

Both the kindergarten teacher and lecturer training programs are roughly in line with last year, while more will become vocational teachers and teachers in practical and aesthetic subjects.

– It is incredibly good that more people want to become teachers within vocational subjects and practical and aesthetic subjects. We will need many more skilled workers in the coming years. To make that happen, we need a more practical school where everyone can develop their skills. And that from an early age, so that fewer drop out. Now we see that vocational subjects are popular both for future teachers and students. There are signs that we are on the right track, says Hoel.

Upswing for ICT and economics – history subjects increase the most

The field of study with the largest percentage increase in first-choice applicants is history. Compared to last year, there are 474 more applicants to these studies, an increase of 13 per cent.

For the second year in a row, the study area of ​​economic-administrative subjects increases the most, measured in terms of the number of applicants. In total, more than 25,000 applicants have this as their first choice.

Technology subjects are also still popular. This year, 1 in 5 applicants has at least one technology education in their application. Engineering courses and maritime studies in particular are popular among applicants. The number of available study places on ICT courses has never been higher. This year, 2,961 study places in ICT are planned. There are 247 more than last year, an increase of 9.1 per cent. The number of women who are proficient in ICT has increased by over 5 per cent.

Popular new aeronautical engineering degree

Among this year’s study news, the new aeronautical engineering course at NTNU stands out, with 453 applicants for 25 study places.

– It’s great to see that the brand new flight engineer line is so popular, with as many as 18 applicants per study place! We created this education last year because we know that both the civil and military sectors are dependent on aviation engineering expertise in the years to come. We are now training people who are critical to Norway’s total preparedness going forward, says Hoel.