Candidates for Higher Education are below 50 thousand

The application period for the 1st phase of the competition ended this Monday and, according to data from the Directorate-General for Higher Education (DGES), there were 49,595 candidates, 9,046 fewer than last year.

The downward trend in applicants had been evident for some years, but almost insignificantly: In 2020, around 62,000 students attempted to enter higher education in the first phase, and in the following two years, applications continued to hover around 60,000.

Data from DGES shows that this year the number of candidates fell to levels close to those recorded in 2018, when only 49,362 students applied in the first phase.

In 2020, the year of the Covid-19 pandemic that led to a temporary change in the rules for access to higher education, applications soared.

Gradually, in recent years, some of the rules have been reinstated, such as the obligation to take several national exams.

Student associations have warned that the lack of affordable housing and the financial difficulties families face in supporting a child studying away from home can contribute to keeping young people away from higher education.

On the other hand, this year, there are more than 55,000 vacancies in the general access system for public education, to which are added another 717 vacancies for local competitions, such as artistic courses that require prerequisites for entry.

In addition to these positions, there are another 21,000 available through special programs and competitions, such as those for those over 23 or those changing majors. In the private sector, there are nearly 25,000 available positions.