Quota 1 and Quota 2

In most programmes you will be offered a study place if you fulfil the entry requirements.

In some programmes the number of applicants exceeds the number of study places and the admission is restricted. In these programmes admissions are allocated in two quotas: Quota 1 and Quota 2.
 
Quota 1 admissions are allocated according to the grade point average of an upper secondary education. The grade point averages needed for admission will be published 26 July. The education institution(s) can inform you about this as well.
 
Quota 2 admissions are allocated according to criteria published by the education institution(s) to which you have applied. Please note that the number of study places in quota 2 at some programmes is very limited.
 
Finally, there are a smaller number of programmes where admissions are allocated according to the result of an admission test or according to other criteria than the quota system.

Citizens from EU and EEA with a qualifying exam can be assessed in both quotas. If you have another access basis, e.g. single subject courses, you need to be assessed in quota 2.

In both cases (quota 1 and 2) the application deadline is 15 March, 12 noon. If you finish your exam in June, you can apply before the deadline anyway. In this case you can attach the diploma to your application on optagelse.dk before the 5th of July, 12 noon. Read more below:

Quota 1

In quota 1 you will only be assessed on basis of the result of your qualifying exam (an upper secondary education): Your grade point average (GPA).

You must upload your diploma to your application at optagelse.dk. The educational institution will convert your GPA to the Danish 7 point grading scale, in order to compare your GPA with the GPA’s of the Danish applicants.

This requires that your upper secondary school exam can be equated to a Danish upper secondary school exam.

Your foreign grades will be converted to the Danish grading scale according to the rules set by the Danish Agency for Science & Higher Education in their handbook of international examinations (information in Danish only).

The assessment in quota 1 is based on the principle of descending order of grade point averages. This means that applicants with the highest grade point averages are admitted until all the seats are taken.

The last applicant’s grade point average is the minimum GPA for admission, and this is first known when the entire admission process is completed on 28 July.  

The minimum GPAs can therefore vary from year to year depending upon the number of applicants, the GPAs of these applicants and the number of available study places.

If you have an upper secondary school leaving certificate (high school exam), you can check the list below to see if you are eligible for entry into Danish higher education: Foreign qualifications for entry to higher education.

A diploma from an upper secondary education will never expire in order to apply for a higher education programme in Denmark. If you have more than one diploma, it will always be the first diploma issued, which forms the basis for assessing in quota 1.

Quota 2

Two different groups of applicants can apply through quota 2:

You have an upper secondary education: If your GPA is not high enough for admission in quota 1, you can apply through quota 2 and be assessed on your other qualifications as well. Your application will automatically be assessed in quota 1 simultaneously, so you only have to apply for each programme once.

You have other qualifications than an upper secondary education: You can apply for some programmes based on other qualifications, e.g. single subject courses.

However, this is only an option for specific programmes, e.g. some professional bachelor degree programmes and Academy profession programmes.

Criteria in quota 2

Each educational institution sets the criteria for admission through quota 2 for each programme. The criteria express the range of qualifications on which the educational institution evaluates the applicant.

You do not need to meet all these qualifications, but the more qualifications you meet, the greater is your chance of admission. Please notice that some programmes might have specified minimum criteria that you have to fulfil.

Some educational institutions request a motivational essay as a part of a quota 2 application.

You will find more information on the specific criteria on the website of each educational institution. T

here you will also learn more about which kind of information and documentation they need to assess your quota 2 application.

It is very important to do a thorough study of the requirements (criteria and documentation) to be sure that your application can be assessed in quota 2.

If you apply for the same programme at different educational institutions, please note that they might have different quota 2 criteria.

Admission Test and Interviews

Some programmes only admit applicants through quota 2. These programmes have admission tests, interviews or a combination.

The test or interview will take place after 15 March, 12 noon. It is mandatory to attend the test or interview in order to maintain a possibility to be admitted.

Please note that some programmes with admission tests require that you produce different kinds of written material and attach it to your application before the application deadline 15 March, at noon.

Learn more on the website of the higher education institution of your choice.