Most international applicants have one deadline: 15 March at 12 noon CET. If you did your upper secondary exam in Denmark and you're applying purely on your grade point average, you get until 5 July at 12 noon CET instead. Both deadlines run through optagelse.dk, which closes at 12 noon CET sharp.
What the 15 March deadline covers
The 15 March date applies to you if any of these describe your situation:
- You have an international upper secondary education, including the IB.
- You hold non-Danish upper secondary qualifications.
- You're applying to a programme with an admission test.
- You're applying in quota 2.
That's a broad net. If you studied outside Denmark, assume 15 March is your date until you've checked the programme page and confirmed otherwise. You can start narrowing the field by browsing the Danish universities in our catalogue.
What the 5 July deadline covers
The 5 July date is narrower. It applies to applicants with a Danish upper secondary education who are applying on their grade point average only, that is, quota 1. If that's you, you have the later date.
Here's the useful bit: if you apply before 15 March, you're automatically considered in quota 1 too, as long as your grade average can be converted to the Danish 7-point scale. So applying early doesn't cost you the quota 1 route. It adds options.
Which deadline applies to you?
This table lays out the split. The institution makes the final call on admission, so treat it as a map, not a ruling.
| Your situation | Deadline |
|---|---|
| International upper secondary education, including IB | 15 March, 12 noon CET |
| Non-Danish upper secondary qualifications | 15 March, 12 noon CET |
| Programme with an admission test | 15 March, 12 noon CET |
| Quota 2 application | 15 March, 12 noon CET |
| Danish upper secondary education, applying on grade point average only (quota 1) | 5 July, 12 noon CET |
If your exam results arrive in June
You can still apply by 15 March even if you sit your exams in June. Apply on time, then attach your diploma on optagelse.dk before 5 July at 12 noon CET. Missing exam results in March don't disqualify you, missing the 15 March application does.
So the paperwork you need in March is the application itself and whatever documentation the programme asks for. The diploma comes later.
Programmes with admission tests
Some programmes with admission tests want written material attached before the 15 March deadline. The test or interview then happens after 15 March, and attendance is mandatory. If you skip it, you've skipped your application.
Check the individual programme page for what to send and when. You can scan options in our programme listings, but the test details come from the institution.
What happens after you apply
Quota 1 grade averages are published on 26 July. The process ends and applicants hear on 28 July. That's the timetable to plan around if you're waiting on an answer.
Undergraduate applications are coordinated centrally through optagelse.dk, but they're assessed by the institutions themselves. The central portal is the postbox, not the decision-maker.
Practical things to sort early
Study in Denmark advises starting early to collect the required documents. That's dull advice and it's correct. Chasing a transcript in the first week of March is how people miss 12 noon CET.
Two other things that catch people out:
- Fees. Higher education is free of charge for students from the EU/EEA and Switzerland, and for students entitled to the same status as Danish citizens under EU law. Other full-degree students pay tuition fees set by each institution. Fees shown on this site are as listed in the Study in Denmark register, confirm the figure with the institution before you budget.
- Residence permits. Students from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland normally need a residence permit for study before arriving, applied for through the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI). Details are on nyidanmark.dk. SIRI decides on permits; the institution decides on admission. Nobody here can advise you on your individual case.
Our catalogue currently lists 24 Danish higher education institutions and 422 programmes imported from the Study in Denmark register. You can see them all under all universities in Denmark, and each entry links back to the source register where the institution's own wording on deadlines and fees lives.
One more structural note: all Danish higher education institutions use ECTS credits and follow national rules on teacher qualifications, degree structures and examinations. That makes comparing programmes across institutions reasonably straightforward, a 15 ECTS course means the same thing wherever you go.
Sources
- Study in Denmark, how to apply
- Study in Denmark, regulations of admission quota 1 and quota 2
- Study in Denmark, tuition fees and scholarships
- Study in Denmark, residence permits for non-EU/EEA citizens
- Study in Denmark, guarantee for a quality experience
- This site's catalogue, imported from the Study in Denmark register
Frequently asked questions
Is the Denmark university application deadline 15 March?
For most international applicants, yes, 15 March at 12 noon CET. That covers international upper secondary education including the IB, non-Danish qualifications, programmes with admission tests, and quota 2. The exception is applicants with a Danish upper secondary education applying on grade point average only, who have until 5 July at 12 noon CET.
Can I apply before 15 March and still be considered in quota 1?
Yes. Applicants who apply before 15 March are automatically considered in quota 1 too, provided their grade average can be converted to the Danish 7-point scale. So an early application doesn't shut the quota 1 door.
What if my exam results come out in June?
You can still apply by 15 March. Attach your diploma on optagelse.dk before 5 July at 12 noon CET. The application has to be in on time; the results can follow.
When do I hear back about my Danish university application?
Quota 1 grade averages are published on 26 July. The process ends and applicants hear on 28 July. Check with the institution for anything specific to your programme.