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The number of incoming students increased by over 37 per cent from the autumn of 1986 to the autumn of 1996 when 37,959 students entered the nation's colleges and universities. The strongest growth in the number of new students was seen in examen philosophicum (ex. phil.), the preparatory course in philosophy which practically all students must take before they can continue their university studies. In the autumn of 1996, 7,672 students were taking ex. phil., an increase of 2,768 from the autumn of 1986. Other fields and programmes which saw strong increases in new students included preschool teacher training, which increased from 584 in 1986 to 2,163 in 1996, social studies with 870 new students in autumn 1996 compared to 331 new students in autumn 1986, and psychology courses in which the number of new students increased from 280 in autumn 1986 to 715 in 1996.
Over the past 10 years, only small changes have taken place in the educational choices made by new students at Norwegian universities and colleges. Nor have there been big changes in the gender distribution in the various fields and programmes of study. More students are choosing preschool teacher training and fewer are studying mathematics.
Mathematics programmes saw, however, a 21 per cent decline in the number of new students, decreasing from 1,736 in autumn 1986 to 1,375 in autumn 1996. Mechanical engineering and technical teaching also posted declines of 36 and 31 per cent respectively in the number of new students, while building and construction engineering studies were no longer among the 15 most popular fields and programmes in 1996.
Weekly Bulletin issue no. 1-2, 1998