Almost one-third of those admitted to higher education in Norway don’t take their place at university, an OECD report shows.
As many as 29 % of applicants for higher education do to accept or do not attend the studies they have been offered. In comparison, this applies to only 6 % of applicants in Sweden and 2 % in Finland, according to the OECD report “Education at a Glance 2019”
“When almost every third applicant does not use their study place, it means that universities and colleges must offer far more than they have room for,” says Science and Higher Education Minister Iselin Nybø (Venstre).
“There may be several reasons why it’s like this, so we need to take a closer look at what lies behind these figures,” she adds.
The study-completion figures for higher education are still low in Norway, but the report shows that the other OECD countries are struggling even more to get the students through their studies.
In the OECD countries, 39 % of students who start higher education complete their studies on time, versus 44 % in Norway. This applies to full-time undergraduate students.
© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today
