University of La Laguna Faces Enrollment Challenges Amid Demographic Shifts
The University of La Laguna is implementing new recruitment strategies and outreach programs to address fluctuating enrollment, shifting student preferences, and the impact of declining birth rates in the Canary Islands.
The University of La Laguna (ULL) is navigating a period of uncertainty as it faces shifting demographics and increased competition for new students. While enrollment has fluctuated over the past five years—dropping from 5,295 students to 4,871 last year—university leadership maintains that demand remains stable, typically hovering around 4,500 spots.
Historical data shows an uneven trend, highlighted by a record high of 5,502 new students during the 2023-2024 academic year. Currently, the provisional enrollment stands at 4,672, a number expected to rise once the final enrollment period closes. Notably, there is a significant gender gap in admissions: women account for 60% of new students, with 2,728 female enrollments compared to 1,944 male.
Rosario Hernández, the Vice-Rector for Students, attributes these trends to several factors. The declining birth rate in the Canary Islands is beginning to impact university classrooms, a trend expected to intensify in the coming years. Additionally, the growth of private education has changed the landscape, forcing the public university to rethink its recruitment. In response, the ULL has launched early orientation programs in secondary schools, specifically aiming to encourage young women to pursue STEAM fields. The goal is to attract more students while lowering dropout rates by better aligning student expectations with their chosen courses.
The university’s island location adds further complexity. Unlike students on the mainland, who can easily transfer between institutions, Canarian students face significant financial and logistical barriers. Despite these challenges, certain programs remain highly popular; Medicine, for example, received nearly 1,500 applications. This creates a clear divide in demand: while fields like health sciences, education, law, and physical activity remain popular, the Humanities and Social Sciences are seeing less interest, reflecting broader shifts in the job market and student preferences.