{
  "id": 9551560,
  "title": "National University Loses Nearly Half of Its Applicants in Eight Years",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/national-university-loses-nearly-half-of-its-applicants-in-eight-years",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-24T11:52:31.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Colombia One",
    "slug": "colombia-one",
    "url": "https://colombiaone.com/2026/09/24/national-university-loses-nearly-half-of-its-applicants-in-eight-years/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "For eight years, the number of applicants to Colombia's National University has fallen by nearly half, leading to questions about its future. The university, once the country's top public institution for higher education, recorded 39,397 applicants for the first semester of 2027, a decline of 48% compared to 75,681 applicants in 2019. Unlike previous years, the university routinely received between 60,000 and 70,000 applicants pre-2019.\n\nExperts suggest that demographic changes in Colombia, with a decline in births since around 2018, are influencing the drop in university applicants. However, National University officials believe the decline is multifactorial and occurring at other higher education institutions nationwide.\n\nAnother factor contributing to the trend is the changing expectations of students and their families. A study by Javeriana University found that over 900 schools closed between 2019 and 2024, reducing the pool of potential future university students. However, experts argue that the university's own issues, such as disputes over the selection of the rector and disruptions to the academic calendar, also play a role.\n\nIn a changing job market, students now have more options, including technical and online education, as well as shorter programs. The university's traditional entrance exam is seen as an additional barrier compared to institutions using different selection mechanisms. Despite the decline, the National University remains a prominent provider of higher education in Colombia, with enrollment stable and far more applicants than available spots.",
  "summary": "Colombia’s National University, considered the country’s leading public university, is undergoing a change that reflects a broader transformation in higher education. For the first semester of 2027, the institution recorded 39,397 applicants, the lowest figure in the past 20 years and a decline of nearly 48% from the 75,681 recorded for the same period in […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}