BTN News: The University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC) has seen a surge in entry score requirements for several degrees in the 2024-2025 academic year. This increase reflects the intense competition among students seeking admission. With 11,200 pre-registrations this year, some of the most competitive programs now demand scores above 12 on the Spanish grading scale. This rise in entry thresholds highlights the growing interest in the diverse range of programs offered at ULPGC, which now includes several new double degree options.
Competitive Programs and Their Entry Scores
The double degree in Translation and Interpretation: English-German and English-French stands out as the most competitive program at ULPGC, requiring a minimum score of 13.384. This high requirement is due to the limited number of spots, with only ten places available each year. Following closely is the Medicine program, which has set its entry score at 12.860, corresponding to the 150th admitted student. This program remains one of the most sought after at ULPGC, with 2,200 pre-registrations, resulting in about 14 applicants per available spot.
Another new program, the double degree in Primary and Early Childhood Education, has seen significant demand, with 251 pre-registrations for just 30 places. The last admitted student scored 12.620, making it the third most competitive program at the university. Nursing on the main island, with 150 places and 1.056 applicants, required a minimum score of 12.101. The newly introduced Biomedical Engineering degree, offering 50 spots, set its entry score at 12.060.
Trends and Comparisons with Previous Years
In comparison to previous years, the entry scores for these programs have generally increased. Last year’s final lists showed lower cut-off scores for these and similar programs. For example, the final entry score for Biochemical Engineering last year was over a full point lower than the current provisional score.
Programs Requiring Over 10 Points
In addition to the highly competitive programs, 14 out of the 49 degree programs at ULPGC require more than 10 points. Noteworthy among these are Physics and Mathematics, which has a current entry score of 11.784. This program, which began last year with 50 places, saw its entry score rise significantly from 8.963. Nursing programs in Lanzarote and Fuerteventura also demand high scores, set at 11.627 and 11.460 respectively. Other programs like Physiotherapy (11.390) and Veterinary Medicine (11.375) also feature prominently, with Veterinary Medicine offering 72 places and receiving 649 applications.
Other Notable Programs
Education degrees also require scores above 10 points, with Early Childhood Education at 10.612 and Primary Education at 10.919. These figures have risen slightly from last year’s final scores, where neither required more than 10 points. The Primary Education program, which offers 190 places, saw 477 applications.
Programs with Scores Below 10 Points
Some programs, such as Physical Activity and Sports Sciences, received 570 pre-registrations for 100 places, resulting in a minimum entry score just shy of 10 points at 9.737, a notable increase from the previous year. Law, despite having more pre-registrations than available spots (471 for 450 places), maintained a minimum entry score of 5.
Programs with Increased Cut-Off Scores
Programs traditionally accessible with a score of 5, such as Translation and Interpretation (English-German), Marine Sciences, Computer Engineering, Social Work, Mechanical Engineering, and Data Science and Engineering, have all seen increases in their entry scores. For example, English-German Translation and Interpretation now requires 9.417, and Marine Sciences requires 8.076. Social Work has increased by nearly three points to 7.930, Data Engineering to 7.330, and Mechanical and Computer Engineering to 6.344 and 6.358 respectively.
National Context: High Entry Scores Across Spain
Nationally, the most demanding program is the double degree in Physics and Mathematics, which requires nearly a perfect score of 13.8 out of 14. This is followed by programs in Medicine, Nursing, International Relations, and Computer Science. The high entry scores reflect the competitive nature of these fields, driven by limited availability and high demand.
In Madrid, the highest entry score is for the double degree in Mathematics and Physics at Complutense University, with a score of 13.736, followed by the double degree in Law and International Relations at Rey Juan Carlos University with 13.554. In Catalonia, the highest scores are for the double degree in Physics and Mathematics at both the Autonomous University of Barcelona (13.438) and the University of Barcelona (13.192), with Medicine at the University of Barcelona requiring 12.946.
The health sciences continue to dominate the list of most sought-after programs, with Medicine, Nursing, and Dentistry leading the way. Other popular fields include Law, Business Administration, and Architecture.
At the University of Salamanca, biosciences are particularly popular, with Medicine receiving 6,031 applications and Nursing 5,537. These trends highlight the increasing competitiveness and rising entry scores for university programs across Spain.
