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Latest university applicant figures show 8.8% rise

The number of applicants to UK universities and colleges is up 8.8% on this time last year. Data released today by UCAS refers to people applying for full-time undergraduate courses and is a snapshot taken at 24 March.

So far this year, 524,151 people have applied to start courses this autumn compared with 481,784 at the same point last year. These latest figures underline the growth seen earlier in the year. Numbers have risen by 1% since January.

Applicants from overseas are still on the rise. Countries from the Far East are showing a healthy increase, with Singapore (24.8%), China (10.7%) and Malaysia (10.3%) having the highest applicant figures.

The pronounced increase in mature applicants continues, with those who fall into the category of 21 to 24 years showing a rise of 14.7%, and an increase of 15.8% from applicants over the age of 25.

Media contacts

Darren Barker, Communications Officer
Telephone: 01242 545723

Rebecca Rooney, Senior Communications Officer
Telephone: 01242 545707

Chris Dry, Head of Communications
Telephone: 01242 544677

Email: communications@ucas.ac.uk
Out of hours: 07768 740 461

Table 1 - The number of applicants by 24 March; by entry cycle and gender

Year Female Male Total
2009 295,859 228,292 524,151
2008 274,519 207,265 481,784
% change 7.8% 10.1% 8.8%


Table 2 - Applicants by declared Area of Permanent Residence by 24 March

Year England Wales Scotland Northern Ireland Ireland Other EU Non EU Total
2009 386,914 20,602 32,799 16,722 5,425 25,443 36,246 524,151
2008 355,775 18,871 31,149 16,062 4,780 21,867 33,280 481,784
% change 8.8% 9.2% 5.3% 4.1% 13.5% 16.4% 8.9% 8.8%


Table 3 - Applicants by age and declared Area of Permanent Residence by 24 March

  Area of Permanent Residence
UK Other EU Non EU Total
20 years and under 2009 365,296 24,092 27,836 417,224
2008 343,047 20,554 25,382 388,983
% change 6.5% 17.2% 9.7% 7.3%
21 to 24 years 2009 44,610 5,160 5,639 55,409
2008 38,653 4,567 5,078 48,298
% change 15.4% 13.0% 11.0% 14.7%
25 years and over 2009 47,131 1,616 2,771 51,518
2008 40,157 1,526 2,820 44,503
% change 17.4% 5.9% -1.7% 15.8%
Total 2009 457,037 30,868 36,246 524,151
2008 421,857 26,647 33,280 481,784
% change 8.3% 15.8% 8.9% 8.8%


Table 4 - Applicants by age and UK country of permanent residence by 24 March

  Country of residence
England Wales Scotland Northern Ireland Total
20 years and under 2009 309,150 16,299 25,686 14,161 365,296
2008 289,477 15,187 24,778 13,605 343,047
% change 6.8% 7.3% 3.7% 4.1% 6.5%
21 to 24 years 2009 37,422 2,075 3,584 1,529 44,610
2008 32,073 1,822 3,303 1,455 38,653
% change 16.7% 13.9% 8.5% 5.1% 15.4%
25 years and over 2009 40,342 2,228 3,529 1,032 47,131
2008 34,225 1,862 3,068 1,002 40,157
% change 17.9% 19.7% 15.0% 3.0% 17.4%
Total 2009 386,914 20,602 32,799 16,722 457,037
2008 355,775 18,871 31,149 16,062 421,857
% change 8.8% 9.2% 5.3% 4.1% 8.3%


Table 5 - Applicants by declared Area of Permanent Residence and country of institution by 24 March

Area of permanent residenceCountry of institution
England Wales Scotland Northern Ireland
England 2009 385,799 36,891 30,258 1,403
2008 354,775 34,463 29,357 1,189
% change 8.7% 7.0% 3.1% 18.0%
Wales 2009 12,548 17,373 905 82
2008 11,643 15,868 918 66
% change 7.8% 9.5% -1.4% 24.2%
Scotland 2009 4,615 301 31,896 152
2008 4,456 281 30,263 145
% change 3.6% 7.1% 5.4% 4.8%
Northern Ireland 2009 8,945 863 5,063 14,459
2008 8,609 796 5,084 13,832
% change 3.9% 8.4% -0.4% 4.5%
Ireland 2009 3,795 1,014 2,734 1,674
2008 3,351 955 2,471 1,490
% change 13.2% 6.2% 10.6% 12.3%
Other EU 2009 23,530 2,221 7,658 154
2008 20,400 1,869 6,540 141
% change 15.3% 18.8% 17.1% 9.2%
Other overseas 2009 35,074 3,733 7,651 450
2008 32,120 3,402 6,817 389
% change 9.2% 9.7% 12.2% 15.7%
Total 2009 474,306 62,396 86,165 18,374
2008 435,354 57,634 81,450 17,252
% change 8.9% 8.3% 5.8% 6.5%

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.



Table 6 - Applicants by overseas (including non-UK EU) country (> 600 applicants only) by 24 March

Country 2009 2008 Percent change
Ireland 5,425 4,780 13.5%
China 4,965 4,485 10.7%
Cyprus 3,094 2,619 18.1%
Germany 3,042 2,713 12.1%
Hong Kong 2,991 2,954 1.3%
France 2,648 2,196 20.6%
Malaysia 2,399 2,174 10.3%
United States of America 2,323 2,209 5.2%
Singapore 2,218 1,777 24.8%
Poland 1,800 1,946 -7.5%
Pakistan 1,748 1,609 8.6%
India 1,746 1,565 11.6%
Greece 1,734 1,542 12.5%
Nigeria 1,571 1,632 -3.7%
Bulgaria 1,500 951 57.7%
Canada 1,415 1,319 7.3%
Italy 1,337 1,069 25.1%
Sweden 1,318 1,251 5.4%
Lithuania 1,176 948 24.1%
Spain 1,029 907 13.5%
Romania 1,008 563 79.0%
Norway 981 932 5.3%
Saudi Arabia 841 579 45.3%
Belgium 813 717 13.4%
Korea (South) 803 691 16.2%
Switzerland 695 582 19.4%
Netherlands 636 588 8.2%
Brunei 605 567 6.7%
All overseas (incl. non-UK EU countries) 67,114 59,927 12.0%


Table 7 - The number of choices by 24 March by JACS 2 subject line and course type (degree, foundation degree and other)

Joint Academic Coding System (JACS 2) Subject Line Degree 2009 Percent change Found. degree 2009 Percent change Other 2009 Percent change
M1 - Law by Area 84,715 3.2% 68   42  
C8 - Psychology 76,359 4.5% 61   52  
A1 - Pre-clinical Medicine 69,952 1.3%        
W2 - Design studies 66,544 9.1% 4,239 9.7% 721 -22.1%
B7 - Nursing 59,895 20.7% 3,613 16.5% 50,155 17.5%
Q3 - English studies 55,500 7.0% 19   25  
N2 - Management studies 54,838 2.2% 780 12.7% 1,962 -4.2%
NN - Combinations within Business & Admin Studies 51,317 11.2% 1,090 -5.5% 805 8.9%
N1 - Business studies 47,985 6.4% 1,211 22.9% 1,080 3.7%
L1 - Economics 46,709 15.2%        
V1 - History by Period 45,924 7.7% 1   24  
X1 - Training Teachers 45,768 5.4% 319   27  
G4 - Computer Science 44,034 10.9% 1,876 -1.8% 1,322 -3.7%
W4 - Drama 43,958 9.3% 2,329 53.6% 922 6.8%
C6 - Sports Science 43,274 4.9% 2,598 26.8% 852 -7.1%
Y Combs of social studies/bus/law with arts/humanities 42,707 9.9% 1,515 1.5% 200  
L5 - Social Work 41,289 3.5% 1,200 12.8% 8,643 6.5%
Y Combs of languages with arts/humanities 37,446 6.1%     48  
G1 - Mathematics 36,207 10.7%     1  
Y Combs of science/engineering with arts/humanities/languages 32,010 19.3% 3,802 24.4% 255  
N8 - Hospitality, Leisure, Tourism and Transport 28,464 17.3% 2,735 23.6% 1,752 -10.5%
W6 - Cinematics and Photography 28,353 12.9% 2,546 19.8% 335 -41.2%
B9 - Others in Subjects allied to Medicine 28,251 4.9% 445   2,208 66.6%
N4 - Accounting 28,245 7.1% 164   115  
H3 - Mechanical Engineering 27,791 18.8% 748 35.3% 147  
L2 - Politics 27,353 17.1% 1   32  
K1 - Architecture 26,162 6.8% 68   19  
Y Combs of science/engineering with social studies/bus/law 25,614 -0.4% 938 28.30% 222  
B2 - Pharmacology,Toxicology and Pharmacy 23,464 0.8% 102   30  
C1 - Biology 23,355 8.3% 61   39  
P3 - Media studies 22,940 10.2% 1,168 -1.5% 165  
H2 - Civil Engineering 22,277 10.3% 217   270  
X3 - Academic studies in Education 21,907 8.5% 1,024 9.3% 54  
B1 - Anatomy,Physiology and Pathology 20,713 10.4%     72  
W3 - Music 20,534 6.2% 1,959 14.7% 381  
L3 - Sociology 20,328 4.4% 15   104  
Y Combs of soc studies/law with business 19,700 4.3% 57   9  
F1 - Chemistry 18,904 -0.9% 27   13  
Y Combs of phys/math science with social studies/bus/law 18,498 8.8% 332   30  
F3 - Physics 17,728 6.8% 22      
F8 - Physical Geographical Sciences 17,432 8.0% 26   30  
H6 - Electronic and Electrical Engineering 17,170 7.1% 194   400  
W1 - Fine Art 17,109 3.9% 566 20.9% 103  
N5 - Marketing 16,871 11.4% 504 4.8% 186  
Y Combs of arts/humanities 16,720 11.4% 390   65  
LL - Combinations within Social Studies 16,063 10.2% 94   26  
Z Combs of 3 subjects, or other general courses 15,078 8.8% 8   97  
L7 - Human and Social Geography 14,286 -0.1%     3  
Y Combs of med/bio/agric sciences 13,655 14.8% 555 25.9% 48  
P5 - Journalism 13,410 27.1% 363   43  
Y Combs of social studies/bus/law with languages 13,286 -5.3%     3  
K2 - Building 13,271 -4.8% 502 14.9% 787 10.2%
WW - Combinations within Creative Arts and Design 13,138 10.9% 1,306 33.4% 151  
C7 - Molecular Biology,Biophysics & Biochem 12,171 7.3% 11   23  
A2 - Pre-clinical Dentistry 11,638 9.2%        
M9 - Others in Law 11,580 19.0% 59   81  
G5 - Information Systems 10,898 8.2% 771 53.9% 379  
H1 - General Engineering 10,646 13.1% 57   88  
Y Combs of soc studies/law 10,593 10.9% 129   7  
H4 - Aerospace Engineering 10,457 20.8% 682 23.8% 45  
RR - Combinations within European Langs,Lit and related 9,997 8.0%        
H8 - Chemical,Process and Energy Engineering 9,188 18.1% 3   18  
V5 - Philosophy 9,018 16.8%        
Y Combs of phys/math science with arts/humanities/languages 8,706 3.7% 370   126  
B8 - Medical Technology 8,540 8.7% 83      
GG - Combinations within Mathematical & Computer Sci 8,298 13.6% 204   2  
Y Combs of languages 8,254 0.0%        
D1 - Pre-clinical Veterinary Medicine 7,123 0.9%        
F4 - Forensic and Archaeological Science 7,010 4.9% 268   150  
W5 - Dance 6,925 6.1% 238   139  
F6 - Geology 6,850 11.6%     8  
VV - Combinations within Hist & Philosophical studies 6,821 0.2% 10   2  
V3 - History by Topic 6,672 7.5% 16      
C3 - Zoology 6,547 15.3% 106   9  
N3 - Finance 6,136 -1.8% 14   27  
J9 - Others in Technology 6,134 17.7% 709 -0.6% 210  
Y Combs of med/bio/agric sciences with phys/math sciences 5,480 8.2% 175   19  
Y Combs of sciences with engineering/technology 5,463 3.9% 125   32  
G6 - Software Engineering 5,440 7.0% 243   119  
B4 - Nutrition 5,264 -4.4%     19  
F7 - Science of Aquatic and Terrestrial Environments 5,173 -2.0% 112   27  
V6 - Theology and Religious studies 5,118 0.4% 10   20  
Q8 - Classical studies 5,068 9.4%        
B6 - Aural and Oral Sciences 4,990 -8.7%        
M2 - Law by Topic 4,376 8.1% 95   31  
D3 - Animal Science 4,307 14.5% 1,890 20.0% 268  
PP - Combinations within Mass Comms & Documentation 4,283 -15.6% 60   17  
B5 - Ophthalmics 4,151 -6.0% 99      
R1 - French studies 4,002 1.4%        
R9 - Others in European Langs, Lit and related 3,925 -9.2%        
C9 - Others in Biological Sciences 3,760 31.8% 46   14  
P9 - Others in Mass Comms & Documentation 3,608 13.0% 13   3  
L6 - Anthropology 3,512 1.1%        
Y Combs of phys/math sciences 3,428 7.4%     48  
QQ - Combinations within Linguistics,Classics & related 3,294 1.3%        
K4 - Planning (Urban,Rural and Regional) 3,259 -16.2% 20   58  
H7 - Production and Manufacturing Engineering 2,962 -0.9% 4   12  
N6 - Human Resource Management 2,903 3.1% 19   33  
L4 - Social Policy 2,787 -3.1% 822 72.3% 146  
W8 - Imaginative Writing 2,735 21.8% 14   12  
T7 - American studies 2,612 19.5%     3  
D4 - Agriculture 2,570 7.5% 1,168 27.2% 238  
CC - Combinations within Biological Sciences 2,529 9.3%     1  
L0 - Social Studies: any area of study 2,507 25.3%        
FF - Combinations within Physical Sciences 2,479 7.9%        
HH - Combinations within Engineering 2,460 9.8% 104   17  
B3 - Complementary Medicine 2,373 -11.8% 291   44  
V4 - Archaeology 2,357 14.9% 39   2  
N9 - Others in Business & Admin Studies 2,233 3.3% 6      
Q1 - Linguistics 2,205 -13.2% 1      
P2 - Publicity studies 2,196 15.5%     12  
C4 - Genetics 2,003 5.1%        
L9 - Others in Social Studies 1,974 -8.3% 78   38  
C5 - Microbiology 1,925 14.2%        
R4 - Spanish studies 1,916 3.0%        
MM - Combinations within Law 1,839 11.7% 62   6  
T9 - Others in non-European Langs & related 1,589 -47.1%        
W7 - Crafts 1,439 -12.8% 273   14  
R2 - German studies 1,438 -4.5%        
Y Combs of engineering/technology 1,347 41.2%        
T2 - Japanese studies 1,326 30.5%        
W9 - Others in Creative Arts and Design 1,283 23.4% 460   3  
XX - Combinations within Education 1,088 81.3% 46      
Y Combs of engin/tech/building studies 1,023 14.2% 17      
J4 - Polymers and Textiles 1,017 -0.8% 1      
R8 - European studies 931 1426.2%     1  
D6 - Food and Beverage studies 884 8.3% 226   31  
BB - Combinations within Subjects allied to Medicine 780 -3.7% 11   10  
J7 - Biotechnology 770 20.9%        
T1 - Chinese studies 732 12.3%        
G3 - Statistics 719 0.7%        
F5 - Astronomy 718 21.9%        
F9 - Others in Physical Sciences 705 -6.1%        
KK - Combinations within Architecture, Build & Plan 668 -11.8% 35   1  
J5 - Materials Technology not otherwise spec 645 -17.1% 9      
P1 - Information Services 598 6.0% 4   3  
G0 - Mathematical & Comp Sci: any area 589 33.3% 3      
K3 - Landscape Design 589 16.6% 50   12  
Q5 - Celtic studies 552 4.5%     7  
V9 - Others in Hist & Philosophical studies 549 -0.4%     1  
R0 - European Langs,Lit & related: any area 544 1.3%        
T6 - Modern Middle-Eastern studies 523 -1.5%        
J6 - Maritime Technology 490   50   7  
Q2 - Comparative Literary studies 479 -10.8%        
H0 - Engineering: any area of study 473   4      
R7 - Russian and East European studies 457          
TT - Combinations within non-European Langs & related 417          
V2 - History by Area 400          
H5 - Naval Architecture 377   41      
P4 - Publishing 321   47      
G7 - Artificial Intelligence 296   18      
R3 - Italian studies 282          
G2 - Operational Research 267       6  
DD - Combinations within Vet Sci, Ag & related subjects 255          
D9 - Others in Vet Sci, Ag & related subjects 253          
W0 - Creative Arts & Design: any area 248          
X9 - Others in Education 243   214   1  
F0 - Physical Sciences: any area of study 235          
Q9 - Others in Linguistics,Classics & related 209          
D7 - Agricultural Sciences 159   1   22  
C0 - Biological Sciences: any area of study 145          
D5 - Forestry 128   101   10  
T5 - African studies107          
J1 - Minerals Technology104          
A9 - Others in Medicine and Dentistry 100       77  
N0 - Business & Admin studies: any area 99          
C2 - Botany 95          
G9 - Others in Mathematical & Computer Sci 93          
R6 - Scandinavian studies 75          
T3 - South Asian studies 73          
Q4 - Ancient Language studies 61          
N7 - Office Skills 60   1   1  
Q6 - Latin studies 59          
T4 - Other Asian studies 45          
J2 - Metallurgy 37          
K9 - Others in Architecture, Build & Plan 36          
F2 - Materials Science32          
JJ - Combinations within Technology29          
Q7 - Classical Greek studies23          
K0 - Architecture, Build & Plan: any area 22          
J0 - Technologies: any area of study 13          
X2 - Research and Study Skills in Education 12          
H9 - Others in Engineering 11   9      
R5 - Portuguese studies 11          
Grand Total 2,060,546 7.6% 52,705 19.3% 77,835 11.2%

Table notes

Foundation year courses are accounted for as Degree. 'Other' includes HND, HNC, Certificates of HE, Diplomas of HE (including those in social work, midwifery and nursing) and some postgraduate courses in social work.

Percentage change is not shown if both the number of 2009 choices AND the number of 2008 choices is less than 500.

Table 8 - Foundations degree, applicants and applications (number of choices)

  Applicants Choices
2009 36,255 52,705
2008 30,846 44,171
Percent change 17.5% 19.3%


Notes to editors

  • UCAS is the organisation responsible for managing applications to UK higher education courses.
  • Data on the number of applications (choices made) to individual institutions can be found in the 24 March applications digest.
  • The next snapshot of figures for the current 2009 cycle will be issued in July.

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