One of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil was an increase in demand for undergraduate programs in the health field. In 2020, among distance learning programs, those in the health field saw a 78% increase compared to 2019, with an additional 78,527 students, according to data from the Higher Education Census.

The study “Higher Education Observatory: Analysis of Microdata from the 2020 Higher Education Census” was conducted by the educational research firm Educa Insights and released by the Brazilian Association of Higher Education Institutions (ABMES). The census is conducted by the Anísio Teixeira National Institute for Educational Studies and Research (INEP). 

Among the ten most sought-after online undergraduate programs by incoming students in 2020, four are in the health field: Pharmacy, with a 416% increase; Biomedicine (up 190%); Nutrition (up 70.5%); and Nursing (up 30.4%). 

Among on-campus programs, seven of the ten most sought-after by new students are in the same field: Psychology, Veterinary Medicine, Medicine, and Dentistry—which are offered exclusively on campus and saw an increase in demand compared to the previous census—as well as Biomedical Sciences, Nursing, and Physical Therapy.

“The growth in demand for healthcare programs had already been underway and was accelerated by the pandemic. This is because society has come to realize the importance of healthcare professionals on the front lines of the so-called ‘era of pandemics,’” said ABMES CEO Celso Niskier—who is one of the confirmed speakers at the Bett Brasil Managers’ Forum in May. 

Another key point is that distance learning has been growing in the country across all fields, compared to in-person instruction. According to census data, 53.4% of the approximately 3.7 million new students enrolled in public and private institutions during the period under review chose online undergraduate programs, while 46.6% opted for in-person courses.

Source: Based on information from the Brazilian Association of Higher Education Institutions (ABMES)