Record number of students in Flemish higher education

During the 2019-2020 academic year there were 259,017 students enrolled for courses in Flemish higher education. Although last year’s figures were already a record, the figures for the 2020-2021 academic year show a further 4.5% rise in student numbers.

Student numbers are up in a whole host of courses. However, teacher training and courses related to health care have seen the biggest rise in the number of enrolments. The Education Minister Ben Weyts told the Sunday free-sheet ‘De Zondag’ that “Corona has meant that higher education has lost some of its warmth and colour, but not any of its popularity”.

“It is a hopeful sign that students are opting for a future in education and in the caring professions. These are two areas that have proved vital during the corona crisis”.

Each year, the Flemish Agency for Higher Education, Adult Education, Qualifications and Scholarships (AHOVOKS) makes a tally of the number of students that are enrolled on professional and academic bachelor, masters, graduate, or switch programme higher education courses.

The growth in student numbers is greatest at colleges of higher education where there are 5.4% more students enrolled now than there were during the 2019-2020 academic year. At universities the number of students enrolled is up 3.4% on last year. Colleges of higher education now account for 52% of all students in Flemish higher education.