Among them, 751 applicants have been offered a place on a natural sciences degree programme.

It is always a great pleasure for me to warmly welcome our new students after the summer break, and this year is no exception. I am delighted that so many students want to immerse themselves in the natural sciences, says Kristine Kilså, Vice-Dean for Education at the Faculty of Natural Sciences.

Overall, the number of admission offers at Aarhus University has decreased by nine percent, as fewer study places have been made available. This trend is also reflected at the Faculty of Natural Sciences, where 810 applicants were offered a place on one of the facultys 15 bachelor's degree programmes last year. This year, that number has fallen by seven percent.

IT Programmes in High Demand

Several bachelor's degree programmes at Aarhus University continue to attract applicants with very high admission cut-off grades. At the Faculty of Natural Sciences, the leading programmes are the three English-taught IT degrees: Computer Science, with a cut-off grade of 11.4; Data Science, with 11.2; and IT Product Development, with a cut-off grade of 10.1.

These three programmes are also among those that have seen the largest increase in admission cut-off grades across the university from 2025 to 2026. One reason is the significant reduction in the number of places offered on international degree programmes.

This year 82 fewer than last year were offered a place on one of these three programmes, and more than 350 qualified applicants were rejected.

I am disappointed that we have had to turn away so many qualified applicants to our English-taught IT programmes, especially when these are exactly the kinds of skills that society is asking for. We wish we had the capacity to educate even more international students, says the Vice-Dean.

The final intake figures may still change, as a small number of degree programmes continue to have available places that can be applied for during the coming month.

Looking specifically at the number of applicants who have chosen one of the facultys 15 natural science bachelors degree programmes as their first priority, the figure stands at 1,351.

This means the number is at the same level as in 2025, when it was 1,352.

We are very pleased with all the applications we have received. Once again this year, many young people want to delve into the natural sciences here with us, and we see that as very positive news, says Vice-Dean for Education at Natural Sciences, Kristine Kilså.

Continued strong demand for international IT bachelors degrees

Last year it became possible for applicants, for the first time, to apply for admission to one of three new English-taught bachelors programmes at the faculty: Computer Science, Data Science, and IT Product Development.

Once again this year, the programmes are popular. In total, the three programmes have received 539 first-choice applications, a figure which is therefore on par with last year.

Industry is demanding graduates with IT skills. Society needs specialists, particularly in the field of cybersecurity. We are pleased to be able to help meet that demand with the highly skilled graduates from our programmes. We would wish that we had places to educate even more international students, says Kristine Kilså.

The figures are preliminary, and the final overview of applications is expected to be available in the coming week.

All applicants will receive a response to their application on 28 July.

When Naturmødet kicks off on Thursday 28 May and continues for two days, there will be ample opportunity to meet researchers from Aarhus University. On the main stages, AU researchers will take part in 32 out of around 100 sessions.

For Mikkel Tamstorf, Head of the Department of Ecoscience, Naturmødet is an ideal opportunity both to bring research to the public and to take new perspectives home.

Naturmødet is the place where we can talk with citizens, organisations, decision-makers and colleagues. We exist to create new knowledge, and at Naturmødet we share it. At the same time, it is important for us to receive input in return. It is essential that our research is rooted in the questions and challenges that concern society, says Mikkel Tamstorf.

AU has its own tent

Naturmødet was first held in 2016 and, according to the organisers, has developed into one of Denmarks largest events on nature and the green transition. Last year it attracted around 30,000 visitors to roughly 660 debates, talks and activities.

This is the second year in a row that Aarhus University will set up its own tent and, according to plan, host 60 sessions over the course of the event.

Jesper Givskov Sørensen, Head of the Department of Biology, fully supports staff participation in Hirtshals. He sees Naturmødet as a unique opportunity to strengthen dialogue between researchers and the wider public.

We are very keen to make our knowledge available, and it is an ideal opportunity for our researchers not least the younger ones to present their work, build connections and listen to the expectations and concerns that people have, says Jesper Givskov Sørensen.

Communicating knowledge is a core task

Visitors can, among other things, experience discussions about the state of lakes and the value of lowland soils, hear about plant mania in 19thcentury paintings, listen to a talk on the wild history of the horse, or get an update on the green tripartite negotiations. For children, the programme includes dissections of fish and birds.

It takes time and money to prepare and participate, but it is a core task on a par with conducting research, says Mikkel Tamstorf.

Aarhus University provides knowledge on everything from wolves and the marine environment to biodiversity and the green tripartite agreement. At a time when nature and the environment are taking up more and more space in public debate, Naturmødet gives us an important opportunity to strengthen the relationship between researchers and the public. That is an opportunity we must hold on to, he says.

Eight different departments and actors across the Nat and Tech faculties stand behind the joint AU stand

See AUs programme here: programmet for Aarhus Universitets telt.

See where you can find researchers from Aarhus University on the other stages at Naturmødets here.
 
Full programme for Naturmødet: https://naturmoedet.dk/

Contact: 

Signe Brokjær Nielsen
signe.brokjaer@ecos.au.dk
53 17 34 54

Marianne Knudsen
mk@bio.au.dk
60 77 71 88