Record university applications

9 Jul 2015 02:24 PM

Increase in applications from students living in Scotland and beyond.

Record numbers of students who live in Scotland and from other countries have applied to study at Scottish Higher Education Institutions.

Figures from UCAS based on the June application deadline show that a total of 43,720 Scots-domiciled students have applied to Higher Education Institutions in Scotland, an increase of two per cent on last year.

The statistics also show an increase of two per cent since last year in applications from students from any country, a total of 114,660.

Acting Minister for Young People Fiona McLeod said:

“These latest UCAS figures show the strength of our higher education sector and are to be warmly welcomed. For record numbers of students from home and elsewhere, Scotland remains an attractive destination to study higher education.

“Scots-domiciled students have their fees paid as we firmly believe that education should be based on the ability to learn, not the ability to pay. Recent figures have shown a 40 per cent increase in the proportion of 18 year old Scots from the most disadvantaged areas accepted to Higher Education but we are determined to widen access still further. That’s why we have we have set up the Commission on Widening Access to advise the Scottish Government on how we can realise our ambitions for fairness.”

Notes To Editors

Yesterday’s UCAS publication suggests a 10 per cent rise in Scots-domiciled applications. Much of this is due to the inclusion of teacher training courses at Scottish universities in the UCAS undergraduate scheme for the first time this year. The comparable year-on-year figure is a rise of two per cent as outlined in the figures above.