Technical University of Denmark welcomes fewer students despite more applicants
This year, 9 per cent more than last year have applied for admission to one of DTU’s 38 study programmes. Last year saw 6,827 applicants compared to 7,474 this year—including 2,950 with a DTU programme as their first priority.
However, the admission figures just published do not reflect this development. They show that DTU this year can offer study places to 2,283 young people compared to 2,346 in 2022.
“Every year, we take great pleasure in welcoming many talented young people, and it’s gratifying that we continue to fill up most of our programmes. But we’re rather disappointed that we will have to admit fewer students this year. Especially as we see a significant increase in the number of applicants. We should admit more than last year—not fewer,” says Dean of Undergraduate Studies and Student Affairs Lars D. Christoffersen.
Due to the political agreement ‘Flere og bedre uddannelsesmuligheder i hele Danmark’ (‘More and better opportunities for education across Denmark’), DTU has been required to reduce the number of study places from 2022 to 2023, and must continue to do so until 2030.
“It does bother me that it has now become even more difficult to be admitted to DTU—and that this development will continue. Society and the business community’s demand for engineers is increasing, and we will be missing thousands of them when it comes to providing solutions to some of society’s challenges, including the green transition.”
Increasing demand, fewer places
DTU has chosen to exempt the MSc in Engineering programmes, and thanks to two newly established study programmes and an expansion of study places for DTU’s largest degree programme in General Engineering, DTU will be able to offer study places to 1,447 MSc in Engineering students compared to 1,381 last year.
The fewer study places are distributed among the BEng programmes, which means that more study programmes are now filled, with higher grade point averages for admission. That means that study places have been offered to a total of 836 new BEng students compared to 965 last year. According to Lars Christoffersen, prioritizing between DTU’s programmes has not been an easy task.
“DTU is here to produce skilled engineers, so we have engaged constructively in the work to offer better educational opportunities throughout Denmark. I think we have found good solutions to the relocation of study places, and we have created new digital study programmes you can take no matter where you live in Denmark. But I fail to see how reducing the number of engineering students contributes to better opportunities. And certainly not now, when demand in society—and among young people—is increasing.”
Vacant places in 4 out of 38 study programmes
There are still vacant places on the new digital Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSc Eng), DTU’s two Arctic BEng programmes in Sisimiut in Greenland and the BEng programme in Electrical Engineering.
From Friday, 28 July, it will be possible to apply for admission to one of the four study programmes via dtu.dk. The study places can be applied for up to and including 7 August; new students will be notified no later than 15 August.
The semester starts on Monday, 29 August, when classes begin for all DTU students.