Skopje, 1 October 2024 (MIA) - Over the past ten years the number of students in the country has dropped by 7.043, or 12 percent, shows research carried out by the Center for Civil Communications (CCC). State universities suffered the largest drop, recording a decline of 11.150 students or 22 percent. Private universities registered an increase of 4.054 or 56 percent more students. Religious higher education institutions also saw the number of students grow by 53 students or 20 percent over the past decade.

The number of students in the country reached the lowest level during the pandemic in 2020/21, with there being slightly more than 50.000 students. This was followed by a rise in the number in the next two academic years, only for it to once again drop in the last academic year. 

State universities continue to suffer the biggest decline in students, dropping from almost 52.000 to barely more than 40.000 students. The biggest drop was registered at the largest state university, Skopje’s Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, where there is a drop of almost 5.000 students in 10 years.

The total number of students at private higher education institutions varies from year to year. The last academic year saw a total of 4.054 students studying at private universities, which is 56 percent higher than 10 years ago. Private universities saw the highest number of students in 2022/23, and the lowest in 2018/19. 

In terms of the area of study, most students in the country, more than 10.000 or as many as 20%, are studying medicine, followed by IT with 6.655 students, and economy with 6.065 students.

The number of first-year students in the country is also dropping. If there were almost 19.000 freshmen ten years ago, now this number stands at around 15.000. In just a decade, the total number of students enrolled in their first year of university has dropped by 3.612 or 19 percent.

Regarding the religious faculties, both the Faculty of Orthodox Theology and the Faculty of Islamic Sciences saw the number of total students rise in the past decade, however the Faculty of Orthodox Theology registered a growth of only 2.5 percent, while the number of students at the Faculty of Islamic Sciences rose by 27 percent. In terms of first-year students, the 10-year comparison shows that the number of freshmen has dropped by 17% at the Faculty of Orthodox Theology, while it has risen by 21% at the Faculty of Islamic Sciences. 

In contrast to the declining number of students, the number of professors and associates is on the rise. Just in the past ten years, this number grew by more than a 1.000, or a third.

State universities saw the number of staff grow by 26 percent, or by 786 professors and associates. In private universities, this number grew by 281 people, or 45 percent, shows the research carried out by the Center for Civil Communications.

Photo: Center for Civil Communications