UCAS - Deferring for one year

Accepted applicants deferring for one year

Most accepted applicants enter higher education immediately, at the end of the cycle in which they are accepted. These students are called immediate acceptances.

Accepted applicants can also choose to delay their entry to higher education for a period of time. These students are called deferred acceptances.

Our new methodology (see table 1) of classifying deferred acceptances is based on the academic year that a student begins their course. If a student was accepted to a course that began immediately after being accepted (or at any point until the following August) they would be counted as an immediate acceptance. A student would only be counted as a deferred acceptance if the course began in the following academic year - for applicants in the 2012 cycle this would be from autumn 2013 onwards.

The previous methodology (see table 2) of classifying applicants and acceptances was based on calendar year. If the student was accepted to a course that began between September and December immediately after being accepted they would be classified as an immediate acceptance. A student beginning a course from the following January onwards would be counted as a deferred acceptance..

Table 1 - New methodology of classifying deferred applicants

Accepted applicants deferring for one year
Year	Accepted applicants: Deferred	% of	Accepted applicants: Total
2012 defer to 2013	24,189	5.2% of	464,910
2011 defer to 2012	13,207	2.7% of	492,030
2010 defer to 2011	29,249	6.0% of	487,329
2009 defer to 2010	30,056	6.2% of	481,854
2008 defer to 2009	30,262	6.6% of	456,627
2007 defer to 2008	28,318	6.8% of	413,430
2006 defer to 2007	28,062	7.2% of	390,890
2005 defer to 2006	30,750	7.6% of	405,369
2004 defer to 2005	28,122	7.4% of	377,544
2003 defer to 2004	28,497	7.6% of	374,307

Table 2 - Old methodology of classifying deferred applicants

Accepted applicants deferring for one year
Year	Accepted Applicants: Deferred	% of	Accepted Applicants: Total
2012 defer to 2013	27,025	5.8% of	464,910
2011 defer to 2012	16,299	3.3% of	492,030
2010 defer to 2011	33,426	6.9% of	487,329
2009 defer to 2010	34,049	7.1% of	481,854
2008 defer to 2009	33,171	7.3% of	456,627
2007 defer to 2008	28,863	7.0% of	413,430
2006 defer to 2007	28,524	7.3% of	390,890
2005 defer to 2006	31,059	7.7% of	405,369
2004 defer to 2005	28,435	7.5% of	377,544
2003 defer to 2004	28,727	7.6% of	374,307