Strong increase in first-choice applicants
For the sixth consecutive year, Dalarna University tops the list for international applications to master’s programmes in Sweden with a spring semester start. According to figures from the Swedish Council for Higher Education (UHR), this year’s results are the highest ever – both in total applications and in first-choice applications. Compared with spring 2025, the number of total applicants has increased by 63%, while the number of first-choice applicants has risen by as much as 89%.
The Master’s Programme in Data Science and the Master’s Programme in Business Intelligence saw particularly strong growth. Data Science set an all-time record with 956 applicants, while Business Intelligence reached its highest-ever number of first-choice applicants: 582, a jump of 266 from the previous record of 316.
– This is a fantastic result and a confirmation that our programmes offer something unique in the international higher education market. As a former student of the Master’s Programme in Business Intelligence, I know first-hand the value of combining advanced data analysis, leadership training, and cross-cultural collaboration. It’s clear that students around the world recognise the strong relevance and quality of our programmes, says Michael Oppenheimer, Development Manager for International Student Recruitment.
“An Education That Prepares Us for the Future”
For Emmanuel Alejandro Cordoba from Colombia, now in his second year of the Master’s Programme in Data Science, studying at Dalarna University has been both challenging and rewarding:
– Now that I’ve completed my first year in the master’s programme, I’m very satisfied with my experience. The courses are intellectually demanding, with a strong emphasis on group work that allows you to collaborate with people from different backgrounds, approaches, and levels of ambition. In addition, every course encourages us to be proactive in our studies and to use AI critically in our projects – just as we will likely do in our future professional roles, Emmanuel explains.