Higher education student numbers

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.

Key data on the overall student population

• In 2022/23 there were 2.94 million students at UK higher education institutions.
• Most full-time students are studying first degrees. There are proportionately more overseas students studying postgraduate courses.
• Growth in the student population since 2020 has been driven by increases in overseas students on postgraduate taught courses,
• Over the 15 years the number of entrants to ‘other undergraduate’ courses has fallen by almost two-thirds. The large majority on these courses are part-time UK students.
• Total part-time entrants fell by 42% between 2009/10 and 2020/21, while part-time students on ‘other undergraduate’ courses fell by 73%, those on first degrees fell by 12% and postgraduate research courses by 8%.

Applicants and entrants to full-time undergraduate courses

Broad trends over the last decade

• Applicant numbers fell in 2012 with larger falls among those who faced fees of up to £9,000. The total was 7.6% down.
• Applicant numbers bounced back in 2013. A record number were accepted in 2013 and new records were set for acceptances in each of the three following years.
• Applicants reached new record highs in 2020, 2021 and 2022. There was concern that limits on travel and the type of teaching possible with coronavirus restrictions would lead to a large drop in student number.
• There were 758,000 applications for full-time undergraduate places through UCAS in 2024, up by 500 on 2023 but below the record level from 2022. Almost 565,000 of these applicants were accepted.

• Applicant and entrance patterns since 2020

• The number of UK applicants increased in each year from 2019 to 2022, driven by an increased number of 18 year olds in the population.
• Brexit meant new EU students faced higher fees from 2021 and were no longer eligible for fee loans. Applications from EU students fell by 40% in 2021. The number of EU students starting full-time undergraduate courses fell by 68% between 2020 and 2024 to its lowest level since 1994.
• The number of non-EU overseas applicants increased to record levels in each year from 2019 to 2022, despite concerns over Covid-19.
• The number of accepted applicants through Ucas more than doubled between 1994 and 2020, but has ballen back slightly since then
• The higher education entry rate among UK 18 year olds increased from 24.7% in 2006 to 30.7% in 2015 and peaked at 38.2% in 2021. It fell back to 36.4% in 2024.

 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.