information
University and college applicant numbers continue to show consistent increase
19 July 2007
The latest snapshot of application figures from UCAS shows that 494,842 people have so far applied to start full-time undergraduate courses at UK higher education institutions in 2007, up 5.3% on the same point last year.
This is consistent with the two previous snapshots released by UCAS which showed increases of 6.4% and 5.2% (released on 14 February and 25 April respectively).
This snapshot was taken at the 30 June. However, it is still possible to apply now as applications will be entered into Clearing.
Within the UCAS main scheme 30,943 applicants have so far decided to defer entry from 2007 to 2008. At this point in 2006 31,345 people had chosen to defer entry to 2007.
Table 1 - The number of applicants by 30 June; by entry cycle and gender
Year |
Female |
Male |
Total |
2007 |
274,687 |
220,155 |
494,842 |
2006 |
260,104 |
209,627 |
469,731 |
% change |
5.6% |
5.0% |
5.3% |
Table 2 - Applicants by declared Area of Permanent Residence
Year |
England |
Wales |
Scotland |
Northern Ireland |
Other EU |
Other Overseas |
Total |
2007 |
351,533 |
19,624 |
32,988 |
16,827 |
31,386 |
42,484 |
494,842 |
2006 |
330,784 |
19,478 |
33,164 |
17,802 |
27,817 |
40,686 |
469,731 |
% change |
6.3% |
0.7% |
-0.5% |
-5.5% |
12.8% |
4.4% |
5.3% |
Table 3 - Applicants by age and declared area of permanent residence
Area of Permanent Residence |
|||||
UK |
Other EU |
Other Overseas |
Total |
||
Under 21 years |
2007 |
334,360 |
21,783 |
28,696 |
384,839 |
2006 |
317,900 |
18,663 |
26,084 |
362,647 |
|
% change |
5.2% |
16.7% |
10.0% |
6.1% |
|
21 to 24 years |
2007 |
41,993 |
7,261 |
8,843 |
58,097 |
2006 |
38,904 |
6,803 |
9,018 |
54,725 |
|
% change |
7.9% |
6.7% |
-1.9% |
6.2% |
|
25 years and over |
2007 |
44,619 |
2,342 |
4,945 |
51,906 |
2006 |
44,424 |
2,351 |
5,584 |
52,359 |
|
% change |
0.4% |
-0.4% |
-11.4% |
-0.9% |
|
Total |
2007 |
420,972 |
31,386 |
42,484 |
494,842 |
2006 |
401,228 |
27,817 |
40,686 |
469,731 |
|
% change |
4.9% |
12.8% |
4.4% |
5.3% |
|
Table 4 - Applicants by age and UK country of permanent residence
Home country of applicant |
||||||
England |
Wales |
Scotland |
Northern Ireland |
Total |
||
Under 21 years |
2007 |
279,964 |
15,128 |
25,203 |
14,065 |
334,360 |
2006 |
262,768 |
15,072 |
25,594 |
14,466 |
317,900 |
|
% change |
6.5% |
0.4% |
-1.5% |
-2.8% |
5.2% |
|
21 to 24 years |
2007 |
34,542 |
1,985 |
3,835 |
1,631 |
41,993 |
2006 |
31,540 |
1,895 |
3,575 |
1,894 |
38,904 |
|
% change |
9.5% |
4.7% |
7.3% |
-13.9% |
7.9% |
|
25 years and over |
2007 |
37,027 |
2,511 |
3,950 |
1,131 |
44,619 |
2006 |
36,476 |
2,511 |
3,995 |
1,442 |
44,424 |
|
% change |
1.5% |
0.0% |
-1.1% |
-21.6% |
0.4% |
|
Total |
2007 |
351,533 |
19,624 |
32,988 |
16,827 |
420,972 |
2006 |
330,784 |
19,478 |
33,164 |
17,802 |
401,228 |
|
% change |
6.3% |
0.7% |
-0.5% |
-5.5% |
4.9% |
|
Table 5 - Applicants by declared area of permanent residence and country of institution
Home area of applicant |
Country of institution |
||||
England |
Wales |
Scotland |
Northern Ireland |
||
England |
2007 |
350,235 |
41,571 |
30,449 |
1,225 |
2006 |
329,469 |
41,866 |
29,867 |
1,067 |
|
% change |
6.3% |
-0.7% |
1.9% |
14.8% |
|
Wales |
2007 |
11,951 |
16,672 |
930 |
73 |
2006 |
11,993 |
16,501 |
926 |
47 |
|
% change |
-0.4% |
1.0% |
0.4% |
55.3% |
|
Scotland |
2007 |
5,026 |
363 |
32,065 |
150 |
2006 |
5,099 |
421 |
32,303 |
138 |
|
% change |
-1.4% |
-13.8% |
-0.7% |
8.7% |
|
Northern Ireland |
2007 |
9,072 |
989 |
5,502 |
14,663 |
2006 |
9,419 |
1,086 |
5,798 |
14,868 |
|
% change |
-3.7% |
-8.9% |
-5.1% |
-1.4% |
|
Other EU |
2007 |
26,915 |
3,677 |
10,281 |
2,231 |
2006 |
23,774 |
3,528 |
9,208 |
2,277 |
|
% change |
13.2% |
4.2% |
11.7% |
-2.0% |
|
Other overseas |
2007 |
39,794 |
5,664 |
8,237 |
663 |
2006 |
38,372 |
5,587 |
8,117 |
669 |
|
% change |
3.7% |
1.4% |
1.5% |
-0.9% |
|
Total |
2007 |
442,993 |
68,936 |
87,464 |
19,005 |
2006 |
418,126 |
68,989 |
86,219 |
19,066 |
|
% change |
5.9% |
-0.1% |
1.4% |
-0.3% |
|
Note - An applicant has a maximum count of 1 to each 'country of institution'. If an applicant's choices include multiple countries then the applicant is counted once within each 'country of institution' present.
The above table relates solely to Main Scheme applicants and the choices that such applicants have made within the Main Scheme, choices made in "Extra" are not taken into account. Likewise acceptance notifications received directly from institutions (Records of Prior Acceptance) and any choices associated with such notifications are not taken into account in compiling the above table.
Table 6 - Applicants by overseas (including non-UK EU) country (> 600 applicants only)
Country |
2007 |
2006 |
% change |
China |
6,423 |
5,628 |
14.1% |
Ireland |
5,633 |
6,130 |
-8.1% |
France |
3,388 |
2,933 |
15.5% |
Cyprus |
3,385 |
2,485 |
36.2% |
Germany |
3,335 |
3,021 |
10.4% |
Hong Kong |
3,155 |
2,919 |
8.1% |
Nigeria |
3,106 |
4,158 |
-25.3% |
Poland |
2,809 |
2,255 |
24.6% |
Malaysia |
2,583 |
2,299 |
12.4% |
United States of America |
2,544 |
2,197 |
15.8% |
India |
2,373 |
2,213 |
7.2% |
Pakistan |
2,332 |
2,166 |
7.7% |
Greece |
2,052 |
1,846 |
11.2% |
Singapore |
1,553 |
1,439 |
7.9% |
Sweden |
1,430 |
1,375 |
4.0% |
Canada |
1,303 |
1,125 |
15.8% |
Italy |
1,113 |
974 |
14.3% |
Norway |
1,031 |
857 |
20.3% |
Spain |
1,023 |
976 |
4.8% |
Sri Lanka |
1,007 |
917 |
9.8% |
Korea (South) |
827 |
776 |
6.6% |
Lithuania |
801 |
692 |
15.8% |
Brunei |
747 |
489 |
52.8% |
Belgium |
729 |
684 |
6.6% |
Kenya |
687 |
769 |
-10.7% |
Japan |
655 |
759 |
-13.7% |
Netherlands |
615 |
535 |
15.0% |
Portugal |
604 |
624 |
-3.2% |
All overseas |
73,870 |
68,503 |
7.8% |
Table 7 - Applicants who had an Area of Permanent Residence within a 'new' EU member country by country of residence
Country |
2007 |
2006 |
% change |
Cyprus |
3,385 |
2,485 |
36.2% |
Poland |
2,809 |
2,255 |
24.6% |
Lithuania |
801 |
692 |
15.8% |
Bulgaria |
549 |
177 |
210.2% |
Latvia |
443 |
355 |
24.8% |
Romania |
352 |
119 |
195.8% |
Czech Republic |
309 |
300 |
3.0% |
Estonia |
288 |
201 |
43.3% |
Slovakia |
285 |
263 |
8.4% |
Hungary |
281 |
281 |
0.0% |
Malta |
115 |
110 |
4.5% |
Slovenia |
58 |
54 |
7.4% |
Total |
9,675 |
7,292 |
32.7% |
Table 9 - Foundation degree, applicants and applications (number of choices)
Applicants |
Applications |
|
2007 |
35,414 |
49,915 |
2006 |
28,983 |
40,136 |
% change |
22.2% |
24.4% |
The above table relates solely to the applicants who have made at least one choice to a Foundation Degree course within the Main Scheme; choices made in "Extra" are not taken into account. Likewise notifications of acceptances received directly from institutions (Records of Prior Acceptance) and any choices associated with such notifications are not taken into account in compiling the above table.
Table 10 - Applicants with a UK area of permanent residence by entry cycle, simplified version of the National Statistics Socio-economic Classification (NS-SEC) and country of residence
Applicants |
England |
Wales |
Scotland |
Northern Ireland |
Total |
|
1. Higher managerial and professional occupations |
2007 |
59,724 |
2,731 |
5,753 |
1,756 |
69,964 |
2006 |
55,969 |
2,582 |
5,836 |
1,747 |
66,134 |
|
% change |
6.7% |
5.8% |
-1.4% |
0.5% |
5.8% |
|
2. Lower managerial and professional occupations |
2007 |
83,781 |
4,620 |
7,870 |
3,887 |
100,158 |
2006 |
78,849 |
4,551 |
7,882 |
3,962 |
95,244 |
|
% change |
6.3% |
1.5% |
-0.2% |
-1.9% |
5.2% |
|
3. Intermediate occupations |
2007 |
38,544 |
2,342 |
3,798 |
2,521 |
47,205 |
2006 |
36,665 |
2,213 |
3,829 |
2,536 |
45,243 |
|
% change |
5.1% |
5.8% |
-0.8% |
-0.6% |
4.3% |
|
4. Small employers and own account workers |
2007 |
20,509 |
1,180 |
1,894 |
1,824 |
25,407 |
2006 |
18,956 |
1,242 |
1,872 |
1,885 |
23,955 |
|
% change |
8.2% |
-5.0% |
1.2% |
-3.2% |
6.1% |
|
5. Lower supervisory and technical occupations |
2007 |
12,504 |
821 |
1,305 |
797 |
15,427 |
2006 |
11,886 |
815 |
1,310 |
801 |
14,812 |
|
% change |
5.2% |
0.7% |
-0.4% |
-0.5% |
4.2% |
|
6. Semi-routine occupations |
2007 |
39,709 |
2,404 |
3,617 |
1,893 |
47,623 |
2006 |
36,284 |
2,366 |
3,457 |
1,997 |
44,104 |
|
% change |
9.4% |
1.6% |
4.6% |
-5.2% |
8.0% |
|
7. Routine occupations |
2007 |
16,442 |
1,121 |
1,469 |
1,041 |
20,073 |
2006 |
15,105 |
1,082 |
1,493 |
1,161 |
18,841 |
|
% change |
8.9% |
3.6% |
-1.6% |
-10.3% |
6.5% |
|
8. Not Classified - Unknown |
2007 |
80,320 |
4,405 |
7,282 |
3,108 |
95,115 |
2006 |
77,070 |
4,627 |
7,485 |
3,713 |
92,895 |
|
% change |
4.2% |
-4.8% |
-2.7% |
-16.3% |
2.4% |
|
Total |
2007 |
351,533 |
19,624 |
32,988 |
16,827 |
420,972 |
2006 |
330,784 |
19,478 |
33,164 |
17,802 |
401,228 |
|
% change |
6.3% |
0.7% |
-0.5% |
-5.5% |
4.9% |
|
Media contacts
Byron Price, Communications Executive
Telephone: 01242 544987
Email: communications@ucas.ac.uk
Out of hours: 07768 740 461
Notes to editors
UCAS is the organisation responsible for managing applications to UK higher education courses.
Note that in the tabulations which specify "Other EU", the 2007 figures include both Bulgaria and Romania, but the 2006 figures exclude such countries (they were not in the EU in 2006 and are therefore accounted for as "Other Overseas"). The number of applicants from each of these countries is small (although showing a sharp increase) and so does not have much affect on the overall percentages.
The figures for this media release are taken as at 30 June 2007 and 30 June 2006.
'Applicants' refers to individuals applying through the UCAS scheme, submitting an UCAS application form to at least one course at a UCAS member institution.
'Applications' - the number of choices - each applicant may apply to up to six different courses/institutions. Only four of these choices may be courses in medicine, dentistry and veterinary science/medicine.
Data on the number of applications to individual institutions can be found in the June 30 Applications Digest.
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