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Nearly 50,000 Students Admitted in First Phase of Higher Education

The higher education admission competition placed nearly 50,000 students, the largest number since 2020, according to the Ministry of Education.

21 August 2026Tagblick Newsdesk

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Archive photo: Nearly 50,000 Students Admitted in First Phase of Higher Education — Archive photoPhoto: Esquerda.Net Flickr · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0

According to the Ministry of Education, nearly 50,000 students were admitted in the first phase of the national competition for access to higher education. This number, which totals 49,991, represents 88.9% of the available spots in public institutions.

Although the official results will be released soon, the Ministry announced a 13.9% increase in the number of admissions compared to last year. This rise follows a decrease in admissions recorded in 2025, when there was a significant drop in candidates.

This year’s first phase presents the highest number of admissions since 2020. With applications for the second phase of the competition starting next Monday, the available spots are nearly half of those recorded in 2025, which may impact future candidates.

Data revealed that more than half of the admitted students secured their first choice. The second phase of the competition, which begins next week, has 6,639 available spots, reflecting the competitiveness of access to higher education this year.

Furthermore, 84.5% of the admitted students managed to enroll in their top three choices, indicating a high preference for the most sought-after courses and institutions. This pattern contrasts with previous years, when competition was different.

In summary, the first phase of this year’s higher education admission competition concludes with a significant total of admissions and a competitive landscape for the second phase, as reported by various media outlets.

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