More students applying to economics at Stockholm University

The introductory course in economics in the top 10

A total of 87,600 people have applied to programmes or courses at Stockholm University for the autumn semester. This represents an increase of 4.7 percent compared with autumn 2025. Across Sweden as a whole, applications rose by 3.1 percent.

The introductory course in economics ranks seventh on the list of the most popular standalone courses, with 1,376 applicants – an increase of 8.1 percent compared with autumn 2025. Demand is also strong for degree programmes that include economics as a major or minor field of study. The Bachelor’s Programme in Economics and Statistics has seen an 11.6 percent rise in applicants (1,209), the Bachelor’s Programme in Economics has increased by 11.2 percent (1,508), and the Master’s Programme in Economics has grown by 5.3 percent (454).

According to Anders Fogelberg, Administrative Head of the Department of Economics, several factors help explain the rising demand:

”When the labour market is weak, more people choose to pursue education instead. In addition, the cohorts aged 19–22 have grown in recent years, and they make up a large share of our economics students. Unfortunately, we cannot meet the high demand with more places, as government funding has been reallocated primarily to STEM* fields.”