Growing interest in science - and strong debut for new programmes in Vejle
The latest counts of this year's quota 2 applications show a generally positive interest in the programmes at the Faculty of Science. The figures are calculated as of 15 March 2026 and cover applications with both first priority and lower priorities compared to last year. The picture for first priority applications in particular tells a story of growth, stability and significant new additions to the faculty's programme portfolio.
Several of the established degree programmes in Odense are clearly making progress. Biomedicine tops the list with an increase from 51 to 69 applicants, and Biology follows with an increase of 10 first priorities. Applied Mathematics is also up significantly - from just 3 applicants last year to 11 this year - while Mathematics, Artificial Intelligence (Odense) and Physics all see smaller but stable increases.
On the other hand, some programmes are experiencing a decline. Computer Science sees a drop from 36 to 23 first priorities in Odense, while Biochemistry and Molecular Biology loses one compared to last year. Pharmacy, on the other hand, maintains its level with exactly the same number of first priorities as in 2025, namely 100 first priority applications.
However, the most significant development of the year takes place in Vejle, where the faculty's two new English-language programmes debut with remarkably high numbers of applicants. Artificial Intelligence receives 130 first priorities, and Computer Science follows closely behind with 128. Both programmes are new, and the strong start underlines the high demand for science and technology programmes - especially in IT and AI.
Overall, the figures point to a growing Faculty of Science, where both traditional science subjects and technological programmes are attracting a lot of attention from applicants. With two new programmes already attracting impressive interest from the start, the Faculty of Science is in a good position before this year's intake.
Fewer international applicants characterise this year's candidate search
This year, the applications for the Faculty of Science's first priority master's degree programmes paint a clear picture of a changing sector. While several programmes continue to attract stable groups of Danish and European applicants, there has been a significant overall decline in applications from countries outside the EU/EEA. This affects both large and small programmes - and explains the vast majority of this year's decline in applicants.
Programmes such as Data Science, Computer Science, Chemistry, Biology and Medicinal Chemistry in particular are experiencing large drops in first priorities from applicants from outside the EU/EEA. For example, Data Science in Kolding has gone from 140 to 41 applicants from this group, and Computer Science in Odense has dropped from 78 to just 8. A similar development is seen in several other programmes, where previously high numbers of international applicants have now been reduced to a minimum.
This development follows a nationwide pattern where changing admission requirements, higher prepaid tuition fee requirements and a strategic opt-out of international information campaigns outside the EU have made it more difficult to attract applicants from third countries. At the same time, applicant numbers among Danish and other EU/EEA applicants are largely stable - and in some programmes even increasing. Mathematics, for example, is increasing among Danish applicants, while Physics and Biomedical Informatics are maintaining or increasing interest from the EU/EEA area.
Quantum Computing received 14 fewer applications this year than last year when the programme started, but this is entirely due to a decrease in applications from countries outside the EU/EEA, while the number of applicants from Denmark, the Nordic countries and the rest of Europe is maintained.
There are also bright spots among the faculty's newest programmes. The English-language MSc in Artificial Intelligence saw a promising first round of applications with ten Danish, two Nordic and 40 European applicants, showing potential for future growth - even in a year of declining international numbers.
Overall, this year's application figures tell the story of an intake strongly influenced by external framework conditions. While interest in master's degree programmes remains solid among Danish and European students, the significant decline in applications from outside the EU/EEA creates a clear shift in the overall applicant picture.
You can read more about applications to both master's and bachelor's degree programmes in SDU Analytics' status notes, which you can find here.