The 18-year student population and mobile students growth will lead to a 30 percent increase in applicants by the end of the decade, according to new figures released by UCAS.
The 18-year student population and mobile students growth will lead to a 30 percent increase in applicants by the end of the decade, according to new figures released by UCAS.
The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) has forecasted about a million higher education applicants in universities in the United Kingdom by the end of 2030.
The 18-year student population and mobile students growth will lead to a 30 percent increase in applicants by the end of the decade, according to new figures released by UCAS. This is an increase from more than three-quarter of a million in 2022.
The number of internationally mobile students is also expected to increase significantly with 1.6 million in 2000, rising to 5.6 million in 2020 and 9 million in 2030.
“Ultimately this is an economic challenge as much as an educational one and will have profound impacts on the current and future shape of the UK,” said Clare Marchant, chief executive of UCAS. “If we do not collectively act today, we risk missing a significant economic opportunity, whilst also leaving a generation behind.”
Marchant also introduced “Journey to Million,” a collection of essays that highlights the challenges and opportunities of higher education applicants.
She added that students must have access to high-quality opportunities such as undergraduate courses and apprenticeships while also taking into account the interests of the disadvantaged during this period of increasing competition.
Robert Halfon, Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships, and Higher Education, said the prediction of millions of students applying to UK universities is remarkable.
“It is important to ensure that those from the most disadvantaged backgrounds are not squeezed out as the competition for places increases,” added Jeremy Miles, Welsh Minister for Education and Welsh Language.
A 20 percent increase in Northern Irish school leavers seeking university places by the end of the decade was predicted by UCAS. This increase is expected to be higher in Northern Ireland than in Scotland or Wales, Erudera.com reported.
In 2022, the number of international students at Queen’s University Belfast has risen by almost 20 percent in just a year. There were more than 2,400 international students enrolled at Queen’s in the 2021-2022 academic year.
