NARIC guide on Higher Education Systems in the European Union

I. Higher education system
I.1. The institutions of higher education
I.1.1. Regulation and management
The overall responsibility for the higher education sector rests with the State. The majority of higher education institutions
come under the control of the Ministry of Education; a few, however, come under the auspices of other ministries, for
example the Ministry of Cultural Affairs (schools of architecture, academies of music, the Royal Danish Academy of Fine
Art, the Royal School of Librarianship).
Higher education institutions in Denmark have a long tradition of aca-demic freedom and autonomy. A new act on the
universities from 1992 has strengthened the autonomy of these institutions.
The minister responsible lays down the overall regulations for all higher education institutions. These include regulations
concerning admission of students, awarding of degrees and appointment of academic staff.
The individual institutions draw up and update the study programmes, indicating aims, scope and duration, form and content
of the courses.
I.1.2. Finance
Higher education is primarily financed by the State. The cost to the Danish State of a graduate from a higher education
institution averages from DKK 255 000 (social sciences) to DKK 690 000 (medicine). In 1994, a new financing system was
introduced in higher education. The main principles of the new system are that the institutions are awarded a lump sum and
that they are free to make their own priorities among the different departments and between education and research.
The parameter for calculation of the lump sum ensures the same initial amount for each institution and a ‘taximeter’ grant per
active student (10 different taximeter levels are used).
I.1.3. Structure
The Danish higher education system offers a great variety of choice. More than 130 institutions offer courses and study
programmes of varying length and level.
These institutions can be divided into two groups:
the university sector, with five multifaculty universities, nine universities specialising in fields such as engineering,
veterinary science, pharmacy, art, architecture and business studies, and two academies of music; and
the college sector, with more than 100 specialised colleges of higher education, normally offering short and mediumlength
professional courses (two to four years) in, for example, teacher training, social work, physiotherapy, nursing and
engineering.
The university sector
The university sector proper only comprises institutions offering both undergraduate and postgraduate courses up to the
highest academic level, including doctorates. All teaching at these institutions must be research-based.