University applications fall 4% in 2017
2 min read
The number of students applying to British universities in 2017 fell by 4% compared to last year, according to figures from admissions service Ucas.
It was the first time since 2012 that students numbers have gone down, with around 25,000 fewer applications overall than in 2016.
The decline was particularly sharp in nursing, where applications were down 19% - another worrying sign for a health service already going through a staffing squeeze.
The number of mature students (aged over 25) also fell sharply, with an 18% drop in England.
Brexit appeared to have had an effect, with 5% fewer people applying from EU countries to study in the UK.
Increases in the cost of studying may also have been behind some of the fall, with fees going up to a maximum of £9,250 a year and the interest rate on repayments set to rise from 4.6% to 6.1%.
The fall in nursing applications looks like a reflection of the Government's decision to scrap most bursaries and put trainee nurses on the same loans system as other students.
Overall the number of applications in 2017 was 649,700, down from 674,890 last year.
Although EU applications fell, the number from non-EU countries actually rose 2% to reach 70,830.
The final numbers of new sign-ups will become clear in the next six weeks when exam results arrive and students find out whether they have met entrance criteria.
Prof Les Ebdon, the director of Fair Access to Higher Education, said said the fall in mature students was "now one of the most pressing issues in fair access to higher education".
"Undoubtedly, the reasons behind the fall are complex and multiple, but universities and colleges should look to do what they can to reverse the decline in mature student applications, as a matter of urgency," he said.
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