University Fall semester begins for around 13,000 students at the University of Basel

The fall semester at the University of Basel begins next Monday for 12,764 students and doctoral students. That's 330 more than last year. For 1681 people, it will be their first semester: The "alma mater" is recording 1681 Bachelor's admissions, which is 51 more than last year, as the university announced on Thursday.

The University of Basel expects the total number of students and doctoral students to rise to over 13,000 by the end of the year. The final figures will only be published by the Federal Statistical Office in December. There are still students and doctoral students who are enrolled but not yet registered, who will then be added.

Enrolments at Master's level have also risen sharply compared to the previous year. With 486 students from Swiss and foreign universities enrolling, the number of admissions from last December (451) has already been exceeded, according to the press release.

Law, economics and psychology most popular

The subjects of psychology, economics and law are particularly popular with first-semester students. Biology and pharmaceutical sciences are also recording high numbers of new students, according to the university. In the humanities and social sciences, history, English, sociology and political science attract a high level of interest.

The proportion of women among students and doctoral students is 58 percent. Of those enrolled, 21 percent come from the canton of Basel-Landschaft, 16 percent from Basel-Stadt, 14 percent from Aargau and Solothurn and 23 percent from the rest of Switzerland. According to the report, 26 percent of students obtained their qualifications abroad.