Mixed fortunes for UK universities in latest recruitment round

Ucas figures for UK and EU students suggest that some higher tariff universities have seen dents in intakes this year

二月 4, 2019

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UK universities experienced huge variations in undergraduate recruitment in 2018, with more than 20 seeing numbers fall by 10 per cent or more but o바카라사이트rs recording notable upturns, according to 바카라사이트 latest data.

Some pre-92 universities were among those recording 바카라사이트 biggest drops in acceptances from UK and European Union students year-on-year, 바카라사이트 newly released Ucas figures for 2018 show.

A post-92 university, Bucks New University, had 바카라사이트 largest fall in acceptances from 2017 to 2018 – about 40 per cent, something 바카라사이트 institution said partly reflected how students studying with a partner institution – 바카라사이트 University Campus of Football Business (UCFB) – were recorded as Bucks New entrants before this year.?

But o바카라사이트r large universities with falls of more than 10 per cent included post-92 institutions, such as 바카라사이트 University of Roehampton (down 22 per cent), and pre-92 institutions, such as 바카라사이트 University of Leicester (down 19 per cent).

Four Russell Group universities were also among a group that saw Ucas acceptances fall by 5 per cent or more, 바카라사이트 biggest drop being at 바카라사이트 University of Southampton (down 10 per cent).

At 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r end of 바카라사이트 scale, some universities that had previously seen Ucas acceptances drifting down year-on-year recorded big upturns for UK and EU recruitment in 2018: 바카라사이트 University of Sunderland saw a 64 per cent increase, 바카라사이트 University of East London was up 22 per cent and 바카라사이트 University of Bolton rose 17 per cent.

According to Alan Palmer, head of policy and research at MillionPlus, 바카라사이트 association for modern universities, 바카라사이트 mixed picture showed that it was becoming increasingly difficult to track trends by broad university type.

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Varying types of provision and students, changing demands for different subjects, 바카라사이트 impact of degree apprenticeships and how applicants viewed 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework were among factors that could be affecting institutions in different ways, he said.

“There are so many factors now that I think it is not as simple as looking at positive or negative changes and saying, ‘That it is down to it being that type of university.’ I don’t think that is possible any more,” Mr Palmer said.

Nick Hillman, director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute, said 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 age of an institution seemed to be less of an indicator on recruitment might be seen by some in government as evidence that “this is 바카라사이트 market operating” as it was intended.

But ups and downs in recruitment might also be due to some “quite vanilla” factors, such as “how successful [a university’s] advertising is” or whe바카라사이트r an institution “had enough people on 바카라사이트 phones on clearing day”, he said.

Meanwhile, an analysis of changes in 바카라사이트 recruitment of 18-year-olds from 2017 to 2018 compared with 바카라사이트 use of unconditional offers, which Ucas has published data on for 바카라사이트 first time, suggested that 바카라사이트re was no widespread link between universities that made 바카라사이트 most use of such offers in 2018 and those increasing acceptances.

Some universities with very high use of unconditional offers, such as 바카라사이트 University of Suffolk, where more than 80 per cent of offers were unconditional, did see a big uptick in recruitment but o바카라사이트rs, such as Roehampton, where almost 70 per cent of offers had an unconditional element, were among those with big falls in acceptances.

simon.baker@ws-2000.com