Another rise in number of international students

This year, 6,330 students enrolled in the University of Groningen for the first time. This represents a 9.6 percent increase compared with last year, and sets a new record in the 400-year history of the University. The number of international students enrolling for the first time also rose, as did the total number of regular international students. The number of international students in all categories (regular plus exchange plus PhD students) is expected to well exceed 5,000 by the end of the academic year.

The total number of students registered at the University of Groningen on 1 September was 29,407, which is 1.8 percent higher than last year.

President of the Board of the University Sibrand Poppema is delighted with the continuing rise in the number of students from abroad. ‘Our university is an attractive prospect for international students. This is largely due to the fact that our achievements in both research and education have earned us a place in the top 100 of the three leading international rankings.’

Upward and downward trends

The number of students has risen in six of the nine faculties. Mathematics and Natural Sciences (which is offering English-taught Bachelor’s programmes this year for the first time) shows the biggest rise (+7.9 percent), followed by Medical Sciences (+3.1 percent), where the new Master’s programmes in Human Movement Sciences and Sport Sciences have made a particularly promising start. The biggest drop is seen at the Faculty of Law (-7.0 percent), which introduced a fixed quota for new students this year. A drop in the number of first-time enrolments is not unusual in the first year of a fixed quota, and develops into an overall rise in subsequent years.

The new European Languages and Cultures programme at the Faculty of Arts is proving to be a huge success with 96 new students. The number of first-time enrolments at the Faculty of Arts rose by 12.2 percent, and the total number of students by 1.7 percent.

Across the board

It is striking that across the board the total number of students enrolled in the propaedeutic phase has dropped, while the number of first-time enrolments has risen. The probable cause is the binding study advice system and its mix of consequences: propaedeutic students tend to finish the propaedeutic phase more quickly, drop out sooner and/or are less inclined to switch degree programmes.

Another development noted in various faculties is the redressing of the balance between male and female students. The number of male students in the Faculty of Arts has risen, for example, while the number of female students in the Faculty of Economics and Business has also risen. The ratio of men to women in all faculties has hardly changed (52.2 percent female in total, 52.9 percent female for first-time enrolments).

Enrolments

Survey date 2009-2012: 1 Oct., survey date 2013: 1 Sept.