EU students in Denmark have declined despite recent political efforts to expand the country’s English-taught higher education programmes. Just over 2,000 international applicants were admitted to courses taught in English in 2026, around 10% fewer than last year, raising questions about Denmark’s ability to attract graduates for sectors facing skills shortages.
The figures were released as part of Denmark’s annual coordinated admissions round on 28 July. Overall, 58,673 applicants received an offer from a higher education institution, while total admissions increased by 2% compared with 2025. International recruitment moved in the opposite direction.
Admissions of EU students in Denmark fell by 12%
A total of 2,065 foreign students were admitted to English-taught programmes with qualifications obtained outside Denmark.
Admissions from the EU and European Economic Area fell by 12%, equivalent to more than 200 fewer students than in 2025. The decline is notable because EU applicants were not the main target of the stricter admission measures introduced by the Danish government.
Students from the other Nordic countries followed a different trend. Danish institutions admitted 247 Nordic students, 24 more than last year, representing an increase of around 11%.
The national figures do not provide a detailed breakdown by individual EU country or study programme. They therefore do not yet show whether the fall was caused by weaker demand, changes in the courses available, admission decisions by institutions or normal annual fluctuations.
Denmark has repeatedly changed its international education policy
The decline comes after several changes in Denmark’s approach to international students.
In 2021, a parliamentary agreement led to the closure or conversion of many English-taught programmes, particularly at business academies and university colleges. The main objective was to limit public spending on student grants received by workers from other EU countries. Around 650 places considered particularly relevant to regional labour markets were exempted from the reductions.
The government later changed direction. Under the 2023 university reform, universities were allowed to create 1,100 additional English-taught places annually between 2024 and 2028, rising to 2,500 places per year from 2029. The stated objective was to attract more international students in areas where Danish employers need qualified workers.
A further agreement in 2025 authorised 800 new English-language places in STEM, IT and maritime education outside Copenhagen and Aarhus. However, the first students will only begin those programmes in summer 2027. The additional capacity therefore could not yet influence the 2026 admissions figures.
This timing may partly explain why the political opening has not yet produced a visible increase. It does not, however, explain why admissions from EU and EEA countries fell compared with the previous year.
The decline from non-EU countries has a different explanation
Admissions from countries outside the EU and EEA also fell, but the Danish government considers this reduction differently.
Institutions admitted 262 students from third countries, 39 fewer than in 2025. Admissions from Bangladesh fell by 70%, while those from Nepal decreased by 42%.
Minister for Higher Education and Science Christina Egelund said some applicants admitted in previous years did not have sufficient academic qualifications and had primarily intended to enter Denmark’s low-wage labour market.
The government tightened the rules in 2025 and 2026. Universities received broader powers to verify qualifications, test language and academic skills and reject applications involving fraudulent documents. Other changes restricted employment and family rights for some categories of students, while the post-graduation job-search period is set to be reduced from three years to one.
The fall in third-country admissions can therefore be linked directly to deliberate screening measures. The simultaneous reduction among European students cannot be explained by the same rules.
Employers want more international graduates
The Confederation of Danish Enterprise (Dansk Erhverv) has warned that Denmark should admit more qualified international students because many later enter the Danish labour market.
This concern is shared across Danish business organisations. An analysis by the Confederation of Danish Industry (Dansk Industri) found that a growing number of international master’s graduates remain in Denmark after completing their studies, helping companies recruit specialised workers.
International graduates are particularly relevant in engineering, technology and other fields where Danish employers report difficulties finding qualified staff. Previous research by the organisation also found that international STEM graduates who remain in Denmark are predominantly employed in the private sector.
The increase in students from Norway and other Nordic countries does not necessarily produce the same long-term labour-market effect. Norwegian graduates, in particular, may return home to a labour market offering high salaries and strong employment opportunities.
One year does not yet establish a lasting trend
The 2026 decline follows a 16% increase in international admissions in 2025, when 309 more foreign applicants were admitted to English-language programmes than the year before.
This makes it difficult to determine whether the latest figures represent the beginning of a structural decline or a temporary correction after the previous year’s growth.
The effects of Denmark’s latest expansion will become clearer from 2027, when the new English-taught STEM and IT programmes begin admitting students. Future data will also need to show whether universities are attracting more applicants from the rest of the EU and whether graduates remain in Denmark after completing their education.
For now, the decline is a warning rather than proof of a lasting reversal. Denmark has reopened parts of its higher education system to international recruitment, but the 2026 figures show that creating additional capacity does not automatically guarantee that more European students will choose Denmark.
