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Graduates at the upper secondary and tertiary levels in 2008-2009

More graduates than ever before from the upper secondary level
A total of 5,689 students graduated from the upper secondary level of education with 6,404 graduations during the school year 2008-2009. This is an increase of 150 graduates from the previous year, or by 2.7%. Never before have more students graduated from the upper secondary level in Iceland in one school year since Statistics Iceland started its data collection in 1995. One of the reasons is that large age cohorts are now moving through the upper secondary level of education. Females were more numerous than males or 52.9% of graduates, a slightly lower proportion than in the last two years.

For the first time more than 3,000 students completed the matriculation examination in one school year
There were 3,012 graduates from 33 schools with a matriculation exam during the 2008-2009 school year, 204 more than in the previous year (7.3% increase) and 457 more than two years ago. One reason for the increase is that the number of graduations from the programme of additional studies after an arts or vocational examination has increased by almost one-third, resulting in 601 graduations during the 2008-2009 school year. Two out of every three students (66.4%) who complete the matriculation examination belong to the 20-21 year old age group. The largest number of students completing matriculation examination graduated from the line of social studies, a total of 979 graduates, and 944 completed the line of natural sciences.

More graduations from vocational programmes at the upper secondary level than ever before
Never before have there been more graduations from vocational programmes and the general studies programme in one school year, 3,366. Graduates with the journeyman’s examination were 736, an increase of 58 from the previous year (8.6%). Males are almost 85% of those completing the journeyman’s examination. The journeymen are most numerous in the 25-29 year old age group. In addition, there were 1,555 graduations with various vocational certificates and 313 completed a basic examination, such as in a certified trade or from general studies. Graduated masters of a certified trade were 195, a greater number than in previous school years.

The number of graduates from the tertiary level declined for the first time since 1997
There were 3,435 graduates with 3,459 graduations at the tertiary level of education in 2008-2009. The number of graduates at the tertiary level of education declined by 171, or 4.7%, from the previous year. The number of graduates at the tertiary level of education increased steadily from the school year 1997-1998 up until now. The reason for the decrease is mainly the declining number of graduations after a first university degree by 249 (10.5%). On the other hand, the number of graduates who completed a master’s degree and a doctorate degree increased, and never before have more students completed these degrees in one school year. The number of graduates with a master’s degree increased by 144 (19.6%) from 735 to 879, and the number of Ph.D. graduates by 5 (21.7%), from 23 to 28. Females were almost two-thirds (65.9%) of graduates at the tertiary level, a slightly lower proportion than in previous years.

Statistics
     Upper secondary schools 
     Universities