Denmark higher education applications fell slightly in 2026, even as more students chose welfare-related programmes such as nursing and social work as their first priority. According to the Ministry of Higher Education and Science (Forsknings-, Uddannelses- og Digitaliseringsministeriet), 84,043 people applied for a place in higher education by the 5 July deadline, a decrease of 2 percent compared with 2025.
The figures cover first-priority applications submitted through Denmark’s coordinated admission system (Den Koordinerede Tilmelding, KOT). Applicants will receive their admission results on 28 July.
Welfare education attracts more applicants
The overall decline masks a different trend in Denmark’s main welfare professions. Applications to the four large welfare-oriented professional bachelor programmes increased by 2 percent compared with last year.
The strongest rise was recorded in social work, where applications increased by 8 percent, from 2,152 in 2025 to 2,325 in 2026. Nursing also grew, with applications up 5 percent, from 3,348 to 3,500.
By contrast, applications for primary and lower-secondary school teacher education fell by 1 percent, from 2,527 to 2,509. The pedagogue education, which trains professionals for childcare, social education and welfare institutions, also fell by 1 percent, from 4,011 to 3,988.
The figures are politically relevant in Denmark, where welfare recruitment has become a recurring concern. Municipalities, hospitals and schools depend on a steady supply of trained staff, especially as demographic ageing and labour shortages place pressure on the welfare state.
Fewer applicants in STEM and IT
The ministry’s data also show falling interest in several other areas. Applications to STEM education fell by 3 percent, while IT education recorded a sharper decline of 9 percent.
According to the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science (Uddannelses- og Forskningsstyrelsen), the decrease is mainly linked to programmes where the number of available places is limited because of graduate unemployment. These are programmes subject to labour market-based dimensioning, a Danish system used to adjust admissions in areas where graduates have had difficulty finding work.
Humanities also recorded a decline. Applications to humanities bachelor programmes fell by 9 percent, while language programmes fell by 8 percent.
International applications shift towards Europe
The figures point to a change in the profile of international applicants. Applications to English-language programmes increased by 4 percent overall.
The rise was strongest among applicants from the Nordic countries, up 26 percent, and from the EU and EEA, up 10 percent. At the same time, applications from non-EU and non-EEA countries fell by 21 percent.
The Ministry said applications from Bangladesh fell by 42 percent and those from Nepal by 80 percent. Higher Education and Science Minister Christina Egelund said the shift suggests that government measures are having an effect in ensuring that international students admitted to Danish programmes are qualified.
“There is reason to be pleased that so many have applied for higher education,” Egelund said. She added that the small decline was within what could be considered a normal fluctuation, but warned that Denmark may have to prepare for fewer students in the future because of smaller youth cohorts.
Smaller cohorts could reshape Danish higher education
The 2026 data do not point to a sudden collapse in demand for higher education. The total number of applicants remains above 84,000, and the fall of 1,465 applicants compared with 2025 is modest.
Still, the distribution of applications matters. Growth in nursing and social work may ease some pressure on key welfare sectors, but the decline in teacher and pedagogue programmes shows that Denmark’s broader recruitment challenge has not disappeared.
For Denmark and other Nordic welfare states, the issue is not only how many young people enter higher education, but also where they choose to study. If smaller youth cohorts become a structural trend, governments may face sharper competition between universities, welfare professions and private-sector skills needs.
