University Admission Quotas in Serbia: Who Will Study Where This Year?
Every year the same story, and students and parents are still left in the dark! The Serbian government has finally made decisions on admission quotas for the first year at universities across the country, but is it enough?
Where are the most spots? The University of Niš leads with a whopping 3,173 budget-funded spots, followed by Kragujevac with 2,078 and Priština with a temporary seat in Kosovska Mitrovica with 1,000 spots. The University of Novi Pazar and the University of Arts in Belgrade also have a significant number of spots, but far fewer than Niš.
Special categories of students Out of the total number of spots, about 51 are reserved for students with disabilities, Roma nationality, or those who completed secondary education abroad. This is a step forward, but is it enough?
Quota issues in Belgrade Three faculties in Belgrade – the Faculty of Philosophy, Faculty of Dramatic Arts, and Faculty of Applied Arts – still do not have defined quotas because they are waiting for make-up classes due to student blockades and protests. Prime Minister Đuro Macut stated that quotas for these faculties will be defined later, which further complicates the situation for future freshmen.
Different faculties, different quotas For example, the Faculty of Architecture in Belgrade has 120 spots, while the Faculty of Dentistry can only admit 60 budget students. The Faculty of Sport and Physical Education has 100 spots, and the Faculty of Chemistry has 150. Clearly, the number of spots varies depending on the faculty and their popularity or capacity.
What do students say? Many students are frustrated because quotas do not follow the real needs of the labor market, some faculties are overcrowded while others have spots that remain unfilled. Also, the uncertainty about quotas at some faculties in Belgrade adds to the anxiety.
Conclusion Admission quotas are an important indicator of the state’s educational policy, but are these quotas the right answer to the needs of young people and society? Will students be able to enroll in their desired faculties or will they be pressured to choose less attractive options? And while we wait for official quotas for some faculties, the question remains – how transparent and fair is this decision?
What about you? Are you satisfied with the quotas or do you think this is just another decision that does not solve real problems? Drop a comment, let’s see who’s for and who’s against this quota game!
