The number of students who began the 2026 academic year in STEM (science and technology) fields dropped by 1,367 from those who began the previous academic year, according to data from the Central Bureau of Statistics. This represents a 1.9% decrease in STEM fields, while humanities saw an increase of 5.5% (2,683 students). The data also shows a 10.6% increase among students who began medical studies this year.