Universities - Relatively few admission restrictions at universities in MV
Universities in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern are increasingly doing away with admission restrictions in their study offerings. According to a study by the Center for Higher Education (CHE) in Gütersloh, only 23.1 percent of study place offerings in northeastern Germany in the upcoming winter semester 2024/25 will have admission caps or qualitative restrictions based on aptitude assessment procedures. In the previous winter semester, this figure was 26.5 percent.
Lowest NC Quote in Germany
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern thus has the sixth lowest NC quote in the federal comparison. The federal average is 37.2 percent. The highest quote was determined to be 62.4 percent in Hamburg, the lowest 19.6 percent in Thuringia. Universities introduce admission restrictions in response to applicant numbers that exceed the study place offerings. A fixed number of study places is then allocated based on various criteria, including Abitur grades. The CHE is a joint venture of the Bertelsmann Foundation and the Rectors' Conference.
The restrictions on study places at Mecklenburg-Vorpommern universities vary depending on popularity and availability: According to the study, 19.8 percent of study place offerings in mathematics and natural sciences in the northeast are admission restricted. In the fields of language and cultural sciences, however, it is only 1.6 percent. For law-, economics-, social sciences and social work, 14.4 percent of offers are admission restricted, for engineering sciences 6.8 percent.
Declining NC Quote Nationwide
Nationwide, the proportion of admission-restricted study place offerings has been declining for years, said study leader Cort-Denis Hachmeister. "This can largely be attributed to the decline in first-semester enrollments and the simultaneous expansion of study offerings." Therefore, the prospects for applicants in their desired field are currently better than ever before.
Even in nationwide admission-restricted fields, such as medicine, for example, the relationship between study places and applicants has significantly improved. According to CHE, on average, 2.8 applicants apply for each study place in the central application procedure for the fields of pharmacy or human, animal, or dental medicine.
In contrast, universities in North Rhine-Westphalia, such as those in Hamburg or Schwerin, continue to implement admission restrictions in certain study programs. These restrictions often apply to popular fields like law, economics, and engineering sciences.
Despite the decreasing admission restrictions across Germany, some universities in regions like Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania still offer study places in specific fields, such as mathematics and natural sciences, with restrictions.
The study by the CHE also highlights that only 1.6% of study place offerings in the field of language and cultural sciences in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern are subject to admission restrictions. This indicates a broader accessibility in these fields.
The declining NC quote nationwide is also a reflection of the overall reduction in admission restrictions in universities across Germany. This trend is particularly noticeable in popular fields like medicine, where the number of applicants per study place has significantly decreased.
The CHE study also reveals that in the previous winter semester, 26.5% of study place offerings in northeastern Germany were admission-restricted. However, in the upcoming winter semester 2024/25, this figure is projected to decrease to 23.1%.
These changes in admission restrictions will likely impact the number of applicants and their chances of securing a study place in their desired field and location across Germany, including Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Hamburg, Schwerin, and North Rhine-Westphalia.
