Morsø Gymnasium expands to four first-year classes after surge in applications

The struggling Morsø Gymnasium in northern Denmark will add an extra first-year class next academic year after receiving a record number of applications, regional broadcaster DR reports.

Some 90 students have applied for admission, prompting Region North Jutland to raise the school’s capacity from 84 to 112 students. The expansion means four 1G (first-year) classes will begin after the summer break.

“It’s absolutely wonderful. We’re seeing a very strong intake this year,” said principal Ann Balleby.

The school attributes the rise to three key factors: students with friends on the island of Mors relocating to join them, athletes drawn by the school’s partnership with top-tier handball club Mors/Thy Håndbold, and its unique offering of Drama A—a specialised theatre programme unavailable at other gymnasiums outside Copenhagen.

“We’re the only gymnasium outside the capital offering Drama A. That’s something students from across the country are willing to move for,” Balleby explained.

The turnaround marks a sharp contrast to recent years, when the school faced an uncertain future with just two classes per year. Balleby expressed confidence in the institution’s long-term viability, citing its distinctive environment.

“I’m very optimistic about the DNA we have here. It’s not something that just disappears,” she said.

Notably, 28 of this year’s applicants come from outside Mors, further boosting enrolment.