UCAS’ latest application data released today gives us a first glimpse into this Autumn’s enrolments into HE (15 January deadline).
Applications to Engineering (totalling 144½ thousand) are down by 1.7% since the same time last year. This includes a decline in applications from the UK of 2.5%, not the increase in home grown talent required to reduce the skills shortage, ensure a home-grown skills pipeline, and deliver the Industrial Strategy.
This fall is both:
- greater than overall decline in applications (-0.9%);
- and only the second drop in Engineering applications at this point in the cycle in the last ten years; January 2012, when the introduction of tuition fees tangibly shook applications sector-wide, saw a 1.3% drop in Engineering applications.
The overall data shows there has been a rise in international applications including a 3% rise from the EU – which some have read as a rush to study here before Brexit. But, no rise for Engineering applications from within the EU (-1.7%).
Engineering applications from outside the EU are up, by 1.2% (from 26,520 to 26,850 applications). That said, non-EU international students applied for almost all the subject groups in greater numbers (there were almost 40% more applications to Computer science courses from non-EU students than there were last year, and 16% more applications to Biological sciences).
But, it’s not all bad news. At 1 in 5 (or 19.1%) women are better represented in Engineering applications that at any point in the past 10 years. Progress, especially for those applying from England. This is also boosted by international applications, the EU in particular from where over ¼ of applications to Engineering are made by women.
I’ve downloaded the data available, so if you have any specific questions or want precise figures for your reports I’ll do my best to advise you. Please note only domicile and sex are available by subject in this set of data and bear in mind that I work part time!
UCAS’ analysis report can be found here.
