Total number of students in higher education is decreasing

The admittance has increased by 885 students and the number of graduates by 1066. 46% of the students enrolled obtain higher education at state-financed and 54% at non-state-financed study places in academic year 2007/2008. The growth in the share of paid higher education characteristic of previous years has stopped.

62% of students are women. Continually, the biggest share of female students is in Master Courses (67%) and the smallest in Doctor Courses (56%). The share of female students is the biggest in such broad fields of education as education and as health and welfare (92% and 89% correspondingly), and the smallest in engineering, manufacturing and construction (26%).

For 7,170 students (11% of the total number of students) the language of instruction during the studies is Russian, and for 1,100 (1.6% of the total number of students) — English. 61% of the students acquiring higher education in English study in private educational institutions. The proportion of Estonian, Russian and English as languages of instruction has remained nearly the same during years.

Admittance, enrolment and graduates by educational level categories

The number of higher education institutions has stabilized. Higher education can be obtained in Estonia at 35 educational institutions in academic year 2007/2008. Today we have as many higher education institutions as ten years ago and a year ago. Lääne-Virumaa Higher Vocational School was changed into state professional higher school — Lääne-Virumaa Professional Higher School (before state vocational education institution).

Thus, 6 universities as legal persons in public law, 5 private universities, 10 state higher schools and 11 private higher schools are active in academic year 2007/2008. In addition, 3 vocational education institutions provide applied higher education at a limited number of programmes.

The data made public originate from the Estonian Education Information System administered by the Ministry of Education and Research.

^a Incl. diploma and professional higher education courses (no admittance any more since 2003).
^b Incl. post-graduate 1-year teacher training courses and intern studies.