Historical Trends in Professional School Access: The Case of Barcelona’s Maritime Students since 1769

Abstract

This study analyses the evolution of the age of students at the Faculty of Nautical Studies of Barcelona (FNB), from its founding in 1769 as a Nautical School to its current integration within the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. It examines the admission age across different historical periods, as well as the factors that have influenced these changes, illustrating the evolution of access profiles over time.

An analysis of the evolution of the entry age is presented, using the Faculty of Nautical Studies of Barcelona as a case study from its foundation to the present, and offering results that can be extrapolated to other professional programmes.

This article begins with the search and examination of the main existing primary sources related to age and other admission requirements for nautical studies. Subsequently, an analysis and statistical treatment of the collected data are carried out. Finally, the conclusions are presented.