Finding funding for a master’s degree
Find out what funding is available for students wanting to do a master’s degree in the UK.

Headline student numbers increased to multiple new records following a short dip after the 2012 reforms. Progress has stalled in recent years and there are however ongoing concerns about numbers of part-time undergraduates and some disadvantaged groups.
Higher education student numbers (821 KB , PDF)
Headline student numbers have increased to new record levels in recent years following a short dip related to the 2012 reforms in the sector. There have been continued increases in entry rates for different groups of students, including those from disadvantaged areas/backgrounds where rates have also hit new record levels.
However, headline numbers tend to focus on full-time undergraduates and there are ongoing concerns about student numbers outside this group where trends have not been so positive. This includes part-time undergraduates, particularly those not studying first degrees, some postgraduate students, EU students, mature students and some disadvantaged groups.
There was particular concern about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on student numbers, especially those from overseas.
Sources: UCAS, End of cycle data resources 2024 (and earlier); HESA, HE student enrolments by level of study 2018/19 to 2022/23 (and earier).
This paper looks at trends in the size of the student population, changes in the number of entrants overall and for different types of students/courses and entry rates for different groups and areas.
Higher education student numbers (821 KB , PDF)
Find out what funding is available for students wanting to do a master’s degree in the UK.
Find data for English constituencies and local authorities on special educational needs and disabilities.
Find out what support is available to higher education students across the UK to help with their fees and living costs.