135,000 international students apply to UK universities through UCAS

21K School · Feb 8, 2023 · 3 min read

135,000 international students apply to UK universities through UCAS

International students have long been accepted into varied, innovative, and multicultural UK colleges. For people with top university aspirations, it’s critical to stay current on the most recent advancements in the college admissions industry. Approximately 135,000 international students have applied to UK universities through the UCAS application, according to UCAS’s most recent statistics, which were released this week.

With 31,400 more candidates from China than in 2021, there have been around 135,000 applications from international students. The number of applications from Nigeria has climbed by 58%, and applications from India have increased by 20%.

There were 111,720 non-EU international applicants, an increase from 89,420 two years ago. The number of EU students applying through UCAS is down from 2021’s 28,120 applicants who represented the bloc.

UCAS has previously stated that roughly two-thirds of non-EU students and 75–80% of students with residence in the EU usually apply using its website.

The data also revealed a record number of domestic applications from pupils in the most underprivileged areas of the UK, with the nation’s overall 18-year-old application rate hitting 44.1%.

A record number of students is anticipated to begin higher education courses in the fall thanks to more than 683,650 applicants—an increase of 1,600 from 2021—who submitted over 3,049,000 applications online.

According to Clare Marchant, chief executive of UCAS, “over the coming few weeks, they’ll witness a massive effort throughout the education industry to enable more than 700,000 students to begin the next chapter in their educational journey.”

UCAS anticipates that a record number of students will receive their definitive decision this year on results days for students with conditional offers.

According to Christopher Hale, interim CEO of Universities UK, “a record number of students from the UK and beyond are selecting the high-quality experience at UK universities.”

“Going to college is still a good option, and employers are very interested in graduates with certain abilities,” It will be a challenging year for admissions, said Sarah Stevens, director of policy at the Russell Group.

Universities in the Russell Group are working hard to make it possible for many individuals to study there while still providing students with a top-notch education.

With nearly 30,000 courses offered through clearing, UCAS said, “There are several options accessible to learners who are not placed or who use clearing as an opportunity to review their aspirations..”

According to statistics, Stevens said the UK is still a top destination for overseas students, albeit in a very competitive environment.

“Efforts to attract students from around the world are beginning to pay off, as evidenced by the substantial surge in applications from India and Nigeria,” according to the UK’s International Education Strategy.

Other key findings: 

  • A record number of 18-year-olds in the most underprivileged areas of the UK applied. The POLAR4 Q1 application rate increased from 27% to 28.8% in 2021 by more than 10%, which is greater than in 2013. This year, 38,300 kids from this country’s most underprivileged regions have applied to colleges.
  • A record number of 18-year-olds from underprivileged areas lived in Scotland, with 21.3% coming from SIMD 20 (an index used in Scotland).
  • The most advantaged 18-year-old students in the UK continue to apply at the same rate of 59.5% (POLAR Q5), which shows a significant reduction in the gap between the most and least advantaged students’ application rates from the previous year.
  • With a record-high application rate for UK 18-year-olds of 44.1%, this fall is likely to see a record number of students enrol in higher education.
  • The number of searches on UCAS’ Career Finder, which assists students in finding employment and degree/higher apprenticeships, reached a record 2.15 million in the past year, up 4.13%, indicating a rising interest in degree/higher apprenticeships. 2,43,138 application clicks were generated by these queries, up from 228,124 last year (+6.58%).
  • The first T-level students to apply to higher education were 490 people.

Wrapping up:

Aspirations are that a record number of disadvantaged students will enrol in universities and colleges in the fall as a result of the “UCAS” analysis, which demonstrates that universities and colleges are continuing to assist these students’ advancement with targeted offer-making.

Over the coming weeks, the education sector will put forth tremendous work to help more than 700,000 students start the next phase of their educational journey. This year’s results day will see a record number of students get their official decision.

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