Once again, the results of the first national joint application for the degree programmes taught in English foresee a tremendous growth in the number of applicants. VAMK increased the number of primary applicants by 250%, compared to 2022 results. The total number of applicants to VAMK was over 8,500.
In total, according to preliminary data, there were 63,500 applicants to Finnish higher education institutions’ English-taught degree programmes and art study programmes in the national joint application. For Vaasa University of Applied Sciences (VAMK), the number of applications tripled compared to 2022.
International Business continues to attract
In this application round, VAMK offered two bachelor level degree programmes. The most attractive degree programme was the bachelor’s degree in International Business. This programme received almost 4,500 applications, of which 14% were primary applications.
VAMK also offered three different degree programs leading to a master level degree, which received a total of 1,800 applications. The most popular of these was International Business Management, to which around 750 applications were submitted. Of these, 30% were primary applications.
High school visits in target markets have paid off
In general, VAMK’s applicants represented a great variety of different nationalities. The most attractive recruitment countries for VAMK include nations like Sri Lanka, India and Vietnam, which have large numbers of young people of college age. A significant rise could also be seen in the amount of prospective students from i.e. the United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Tanzania and Ghana.
Sirpa Rutanen, Head of Communications and Marketing at VAMK, explains that their strategy in international student recruitment aims explicitly at diversification.
This helps us to balance and manage risk and to improve the student experience in the process. For the August 2023 intake, our focus in marketing has been in Asian countries such as India and Vietnam as well as in Middle Eastern countries like the UAE, Lebanon and Jordan. Our investments in high school visits, especially in the UAE and India, have clearly paid off.
For the studies starting in autumn 2023, student selections are made during the spring.
“This happens through an entrance exam for the bachelor degree courses and with varying selection methods for higher university degrees,” says Juha Vierola, Head of VAMK’s student services.
