In 2022-2023, there were 877 graduations with the journeyman’s exam. Never before has the number of graduations with the journeyman’s exam in one school year been greater. Their number increased by 185 from the previous year, an increase of 26.7%. The increase was 29.4% among males, while the increase was 16.6% among females.
More younger students graduated with the journeyman’s exam than in recent years. In addition, the number of graduations with a school certificate from the certified trades increased as well, but this exam marks the end of the school part of the certified trades programmes. Graduated masters of a certified trade were 293, around 40 fewer than in the previous year.
The number of students completing the matriculation exam decreased slightly from the previous year
There were 3,327 graduates from 35 upper secondary schools with a matriculation exam during the 2022-2023 school year, 56 fewer than in the previous year. More than six out of ten (63.2%) graduates with a matriculation exam were 19 years old or younger, but 13.5% were 20 years old.
The proportion of graduates under the age of 20 increased sharply from the school year 2017-2018, due to changes in the requirements which shortened the time needed to complete this examination from four years to three. Consequently, the proportion of graduates who finish when they are 20 years old has fallen. In recent years, the changes in the age distribution of graduates with the matriculation exam have levelled out, as can be observed in figure 2.
More than six out of ten students completing the journeyman’s exam are 25 years old or older
The difference in ages among those who complete the matriculation exam and the journeyman's exam is notable. Both exams are final exams at the upper secondary level at level three in the national qualification’s framework. While more than 60% of those who completed the matriculation exam were under the age of twenty (see figure 2), almost 60% of those who graduated with the journeyman’s exam were 25 years old or older, and almost one out of four graduates was 35 years old and older (see figure 1).
It should be noted that commonly the matriculation exam consists of 200 credits, where 30 credits are considered a full study load for one semester. Studies for the journeyman’s exam take longer; many lines of study can be more than 260 credits. During their study time, students usually spend time in practical training in the workplace.
More graduates at the upper secondary level but fewer at the post-secondary non-tertiary level
Overall, 5,446 students graduated with 6,604 graduations from the upper secondary level of education during the school year 2022-2023, 140 more than in the previous year (2.6%). The increase in graduate numbers was only observed among male graduates as their number increased by 277 (9.0%), while the number of female graduates declined by 87 (-3.1%).
In addition, 916 students graduated from the post-secondary non-tertiary level of education, 50 fewer than in the previous year but over 100 more than two years ago. This decrease is mostly caused by fewer graduating masters of the certified trades.
Highest number of graduates at the tertiary level
There were 5,622 graduates with 5,651 graduations at the tertiary level of education during the 2022-2023 school year, 177 more than in the previous year (3.3%). Never before has the number of graduations in one school year been greater. Females were 68.9% of graduates, an increase of 4.9% from the previous year, while the number of males dropped by 0.2%. The increase was greatest among those who completed a diploma after a bachelor’s degree, an increase of 18.8%.
There were 85 students who completed a basic diploma at the tertiary level, 2,917 graduations with a first tertiary degree, 797 graduations with a diploma after a bachelor’s degree, 1,753 with a master’s degree and 99 with a Ph.D. degree. Only once before have more students graduated with a doctorate degree, in 2018-2019 when 101 students completed the Ph.D. degree.
Detailed statistics on graduates and graduations are available on the Statistics Iceland website.
Statistics
Upper secondary schools
Universities