The Ministry of Education and Research (HTM) published an overview on Thursday showing that about 15,000 young people graduated from basic school this year. According to the Estonian Education Information System, 11,934 of them have confirmed a study place.

Starting this autumn, basic‑school graduates will have a compulsory study requirement. This means that even those whose basic‑school final exam results were below 50 percent must continue their education.

The additional admission period for vacant places runs from July 1 to August 31. Applications can be submitted through the admission platforms chosen by schools. The ministry noted that applications submitted in early July may not receive a response before July 15, as many schools begin their additional admission only then.

"The most young people without a study place are in Harju County, including Tallinn. At the same time, several regions have significantly more vacant places than young people left without a place after the main admission round," said HTM project manager for compulsory study, Külli Solo. "For example, Ida‑Viru County has 194 young people not yet enrolled and 593 vacant places; Tartu County has 312 and 606 respectively; and Viljandi County 62 and 295."

Across Estonia, there are still nearly 4,100 vacant places in post‑basic‑school institutions. The largest number is at Tallinn College of Technology, which can still accept 478 students. Ida‑Virumaa Vocational Education Center has 473 vacant places.

The fewest places are in Hiiu County (17) and Põlva County (85).

The overview covers 109 upper secondary schools and vocational institutions. In Tallinn, for example, the French Lyceum still has eight vacant places and Tallinn 32nd Secondary School has seven, with additional places also available in state gymnasiums.

The number of vacant places is not unusual. "The competition is open for this reason, and there is nothing unusual about it. In fact, it has been like this every year," said French Lyceum director Peter Pedak.

Solo noted that most vacant places are in vocational schools, and the ministry hopes the current preference for general upper secondary education will shift.

Most Tartu students already have a place

The vast majority of students seeking a place in Tartu's high schools have secured one, with 158 Tartu‑registered young people still without a place. Tartu Kristjan Jaak Peterson High School accepted the most students.

The ordeal of entrance tests and waiting for offers is coming to an end for those applying to Tartu's high schools. Several schools, including Peterson, have finalized their 10th‑grade lists.

"We have nine parallel classes. The city has set the number of places at 324, and we are allowed to take 10 percent more, so as of today we have 347 students. That means 38 students per class," said director Merike Kaste.

This summer, Peterson graduated eight parallel classes. As a result, the school has hired additional teachers for autumn. Issues such as catering and scheduling still need to be resolved.

Tartu Annelinna High School, however, did not initially fill its 10th‑grade list and is currently conducting additional admission. According to director Hiie Asser, several dozen of the 108 places remain unfilled.

While Annelinna is receiving students from Valga, Mustvee and Paide, those admitted to Peterson come from 65 different schools across Estonia.

"Estonian families have great faith in education. If you look at rental prices in Tartu — we don't have dormitories — parents send their children to live in the city, find housing, pay for food and daily expenses. These are not small sums," Kaste said.

General statistics also show, that nearly one‑third of applicants to Tartu upper secondary schools come from outside the university town.

Compulsory studies changing young people's careers

According to Solo, statistics from recent years show that about 40 percent of upper secondary graduates do not continue their studies but enter the workforce. This means they often lack a profession and vocational skills, making entry into the labor market more difficult.

She said the compulsory‑study reform places greater emphasis on career counseling so that basic‑school graduates can better assess their strengths.

According to HTM, young people who do not secure a place in either the main or additional admission rounds can enroll in preparatory studies. This usually lasts one academic year and aims to prepare students for vocational or upper secondary education.

It is also intended for those who need to improve their Estonian language skills for further study, and for young people up to age 26 who are not studying or working. The state has created 747 places in preparatory programs.

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