This has been a historic year for University pre-registration data for bachelor’s degrees at Pompeu Fabra University, as it has obtained the highest number of first choice applications ever recorded since the current structure of qualifications was implemented.

Thus, first choice demand for official UPF studies (without taking affiliated centres into account) for the 2017-2018 academic year has increased almost 20% compared to last year, and has gone from 4,537 applications to 5,435. If we look at the entire UPF Group (taking into account the affiliated centres), it has risen by 14.6% with 6,752 applications.

The 5,435 applications for official UPF studies are to cover a total of 2,450 places, which puts the ratio between demand and supply at 2.21, that is to say, more than two first choice applications for every place. These figures are also the highest ratio of the bachelor’s degree era, though it has always fluctuated around 2.

UPF is the university that has most increased its first option demand in the Catalan public university system, which on average has fallen by 0.7%. Apart from Pompeu Fabra University, only the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) has increased its demand, by 4.5%, while in the rest of universities it has decreased.

This information, corresponding to the first assignment (June) of the university pre-enrolment process for the 2017-2018 academic year, was made public at midday by the Secretary for Universities and Research and the Inter-University Council of Catalonia. At the presentation, it was highlighted that 88% of students already have a place assigned, nearly 67% their first choice.

Generalized increase in demand, with a dramatic increases in Medicine

The bachelor’s degree in Medicine, taught jointly between UAB and UPF, has seen a very strong increase in demand, since applications practically doubled, rising from 404 to 837. These figures mean there are almost 14 (13.95) applications for every place, and within the Catalan public system, UPF’s is the most popular bachelor’s degree in Medicine, ahead of the UB, and the third most popular bachelor’s degree globally.

Among the 25 most sought-after bachelor’s degrees as first choice in the whole of the Catalan system, in addition to Medicine, we also find the courses on Business Administration and Management (ADE), in 11^th position (505 applications); Law, in 13^th (463); Advertising and Public Relations, in 20^th (375) and International Business Economics (IBE), in 24^th (357).

In general terms, for 82% of the courses offered at UPF (official UPF studies) the demand is greater than the supply (23 of 28), while last academic year it was 74%. For 60% of the degrees, demand exceeds places in more than half (with a ratio of higher than 1.5), while last year the percentage stood at 50%. Only in five studies (17.8%) is first choice demand lower than the supply.

Similar to last year, a total of eleven (39%) of studies had a ratio between demand and supply greater than 2, and seven of these have a ratio greater than 3: in addition to Medicine are the bachelor’s degrees in Advertising and Public Relations (4.7), International Business Economics (3.97), Global Studies (3.9), the double bachelor’s degree in Criminology and Public Prevention Policies and Law (3.5), Audiovisual Communication (3.16), and Journalism (3.13).

In a second group of most solicited studies, with a demand of between two and three applications per place, are Business Administration and Management (2.97), the double bachelor’s degree in Law and Business Administration and Management-Economics (2.76), and Philosophy, Politics and Economics (2.58), a course organized by the Alliance of 4 Universities. Criminology and Public Prevention Policies (2.2) enters this group for the first time.

The new bachelor’s degree in Mathematical Engineering in Data Science, taught by the Polytechnic School (ESUP), has obtained good pre-registration results with a ratio of 1.43, and is in a group of courses between one and two applications per place, where we can also find the Open Degree whose ratio of 1.6 is a significant increase on the ratio of last academic year, which was 0.90.

Other bachelor’s degrees in this bracket are Biomedical Engineering (1.95), Human Biology (1.78), Law (1.78), Business Sciences-Management (1.71), Economics (1.51), Computer Engineering (1.44), Translation and Interpretation (English) (1.31); Audiovisual Systems Engineering (1.28), Applied Languages/Translation and Interpretation (English) (1.13) and Political Science (1.04),

Finally, the group of studies in which first choice demand does not exceed the supply remains stable: Humanities (0.98), Industrial Relations (0.83), Applied Languages (0.72); Translation and Interpretation (German-French-Catalan Sign Language) (0.76), and Communication Networks Engineering (0.5).

For more than 60% of the studies offered by UPF, the cut-off mark is higher than 9

UPF has positioned three of its qualifications among the ten with the highest cut-off mark of the Catalan public system: Medicine (UPF-UAB), at 12.84, in third place; Philosophy, Politics and Economics (12.61), in eighth, and International Business Economics (12.44), in tenth. Global Studies, at 12.35, is in 13^th position, while last academic year it came 18^th.

If we focus on official UPF studies, the cut-off marks have increased in the majority of studies, in some cases even for courses in which first choice demand has not exceeded the supply: the cut-off marks are also determined by the fact that an increasing number of students access the University with higher marks.

Thus, in 17 of the 28 studies (+/- 61%) the cut-off mark is higher than 9 (the maximum score is 14). As last year, five studies have a cut-off mark above 12: Medicine (12.84), Philosophy, Politics and Economics (12.61), International Business Economics (12.44), Global Studies (12.35), and Human Biology (12.07).

In eleven bachelor’s degree courses (two more than last year) the cut-off mark was set at between 10 and 12: Biomedical Engineering (11.92), Law/Business Administration and Management-Economics (11.90), Journalism (11.79), Open Degree (11.69), Advertising and Public Relations (11.37), Criminology and Public Prevention Policies and Law (11.33), Audiovisual Communication (11.19), Business Administration and Management (10.90), Economics (10.38), Business Sciences (10.25) and Law (10.09).

The group of qualifications with cut-off marks between 6 and 10 is headed by the new degree in Mathematical Engineering in Data Science, at 9.89. This is followed by Criminology and Public Prevention Policies (8.40) Political Science and Public Administration (8.40), Computer Engineering (8.15), Translation and Interpretation (English) (7.47), Audiovisual Systems Engineering (6.61) and Labour Relations (6.04). Between 5 and 6 is the case of Applied Languages/Translation and Interpretation (English) (5.59).

With regard to the qualifications with cut-off mark of 5, we find Telecommunication Networks Engineering, Humanities, Applied Languages, Translation and Interpretation (German, French and Catalan Sign Language), and Telematics Engineering.

Variability in the cut-off marks of affiliated centres

In the qualifications belonging to affiliated centres, the cut-off marks have varied somewhat from last year. The highest cut-off marks correspond to International Business and Marketing (ESCI), at 9.26; Physiotherapy (ESCS-Tecnocampus), 9.20; Nursing, Mar Nursing School (8.23) and Mataró (8.04) and ADE and Innovation Management/Marketing and Digital Communities (EUM-Mataró), at 8.20.

Two qualifications have seen their cut-off marks fall; Bioinformatics (ESCI), from 7.91 to 5, and Sciences of the Physical Activities and Sport Sciences (ESCS-Tecnocampus), with a slight drop from 8.11 to 7.44.

> Cut-off marks, first assignment (June 2017)