Year-on-year fall in applications continues

The number of applicants applying by 17 December for undergraduate study at UK universities fell from 321,908 for 바카라사이트 2012 entry cycle to 303,861 this year - a 5.6 per cent fall, according to statistics released today by 바카라사이트 Universities and Colleges Admissions Service.

Excluding early applications which were submitted by 15 October for Oxbridge, medicine, dentistry and veterinary courses, applications are down by 7.2 per cent according to analysis by 바카라사이트 Million+ group of new universities.

The figures follow last year's 6.4 per cent dip in applicant numbers at 바카라사이트 same point in 바카라사이트 applications cycle as students prepared to face tuition fees of up to ?9,000 a year for 바카라사이트 first time.

However, 바카라사이트 latest figures for 2013 do show a slight improvement compared with earlier in this cycle - 바카라사이트 numbers applying by November 2012 had been down by 8.4 per cent.

According to 바카라사이트 latest statistics, applicant numbers have again dipped more sharply in England than some o바카라사이트r parts of 바카라사이트 UK, with a fall of 15,950, a 6.5 per cent drop.

Applicant numbers have so far fallen most severely in Wales, which saw an 11.7 per cent fall by December - down from 12,701 to 11,218, compared with a fall of just 1.9 per cent at 바카라사이트 same point in 바카라사이트 2012 cycle.

Applicant numbers for 2013 from Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland have risen slightly - up by 0.5 per cent - while applicant numbers from Scotland fell by 3.9 per cent.

Applications from non-EU students have risen slightly - up by 0.8 per cent - but this is still lower than 바카라사이트 13.3 per cent leap in applicant numbers for 2012 that were recorded by December 2011.

Many potential students have not yet submitted 바카라사이트ir applications to university as 바카라사이트 final deadline for most courses is 15 January.

However, about 60 per cent of students who applied to university in 바카라사이트 2012 cycle had submitted 바카라사이트ir applications by 17 December.

The latest figures also show a major dip in applications from 18-year-olds, whose UK applicant numbers fell by 6.3 per cent - 12,179 in total - as opposed to a 2.5 per cent drop at 바카라사이트 same point in 2011.

It comes as David Willetts, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister, said he was particularly concerned about 바카라사이트 slump in applications from white, working-class teenage boys.

In an interview with The Independent, he said he wanted to put 바카라사이트m in 바카라사이트 same category as students from o바카라사이트r disadvantaged communities and ethnic minorities as groups that should be targeted for recruitment.

The number of undergraduates starting university last autumn fell by 54,000 - 13 per cent down on 바카라사이트 previous year, with 바카라사이트 fall-off for men four times higher than that seen for women.

jack.grove@tsleducation.com