University of Patras study shows decade of shifting student demographics

A study conducted at the University of Patras by Konstantinos Giannakopoulos and Charalampos Farmakis reveals significant shifts in the student landscape between 2017 and 2026. The research highlights a notable decline in student enrollment, a trend that began around 2020 and was further impacted by the implementation of the Minimum Admission Base (EBE) in 2021.

For the year 2026, total admission positions are set at 5,417. Of these, 93.1% (5,041 positions) are allocated to candidates from General Lyceums, while 6.9% (376 positions) are for graduates of Vocational Lyceums (EPAL). This represents a sharp decrease from the levels seen in 2019 and 2020, when positions exceeded 7,000.

The study also notes changes in student profiles. There has been a significant percentage decrease in successful candidates coming from Humanities and Social Sciences, alongside a substantial increase in those from Health Sciences. Additionally, the proportion of successful candidates scoring below 10,000 points has dropped from 33.1% to 7.5%.