Analysis of undergraduate acceptances by entry year, country of institution and qualifications.
Posted Tue 24 September 2013 - 00:00

This analysis reports UK and EU domiciled UCAS acceptances by intended academic year of entry between the entry years of 2010-11 and 2013-14.

Reporting acceptances by the academic year they are recruited to, rather than by the UCAS admissions cycle in which they were accepted, is a better guide to the change in the number of those starting higher education in a particular academic year.

These statistics reflect the position recorded exactly four weeks after GCE A level results day. Acceptances at this point have varied between 97 per cent and 99 per cent of the final totals over recent cycles.

For entry into 2012-13 there was a net increase of 7,800, (+2 per cent) between this point and the end of the 2012 cycle.

The number of acceptances by entry year at this point can differ from the final number of higher education enrolments recorded on statistical returns. This can be due to a number of factors that can vary in their effect from year to year.

Key statistics

  • UK and EU domiciled acceptances to the 2013-14 entry year at this point are 445,820.
  • This is an increase of 37,350 (9 per cent) compared to the 2012-13 entry year (at the equivalent point in the 2012 cycle).
  • UK and EU domiciled acceptances to the 2013-14 entry year are 4 per cent fewer than to 2011-12 and 1 per cent more than to 2010-11.
  • The total increase of 37,350 to the 2013-14 entry year (compared to the 2012-13 entry year) is split as an increase of 26,670 in acceptances to enter HE immediately and an increase of 10,680 in deferred entry (from the previous cycle).
  • By country of institution, UK and EU domiciled acceptances to the 2013-14 entry year, and change compared to the 2012-13 entry year:
    • England: 375,120, +34,580 (+10 per cent)
    • Northern Ireland: 10,650, +960 (+10 per cent)
    • Scotland: 37,390, +690 (+2 per cent)
    • Wales: 22,660, +1,120 (+5 per cent)
  • The four largest (numerically) changes by domicile group and institution country are:
    • English domiciled to English institutions, +32,410 (+10 per cent)
    • EU domiciled to English institutions, +1,600 (+9 per cent)
    • English domiciled to Welsh institutions, +1,140 (+12 per cent)
    • Northern Ireland domiciled to Northern Ireland institutions, +950 (+11 per cent)
  • UK and EU domiciled acceptances into the 2013-14 entry year at institutions and subject areas approximated to be subject to the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) student number control arrangements ('SNC courses') are 334,860 at this point.
  • This is an increase of 32,860 (+11 per cent) compared to acceptances into the 2012-13 entry year (at the equivalent point in the previous cycle).
  • Of this increase, around a third (9,890) comes from an increase in deferred acceptances from 8,350 (deferred from 2011 cycle to 2012-13) to 18,240 (deferred from 2012 cycle to 2013-14).
  • For these 'SNC courses', UK and EU domiciled acceptances into the 2013-14 entry year:
    • Not recorded as holding entry qualifications in HEFCE’s ‘ABB+’ set: 223,840, +25,820 (+13 per cent)
    • Recorded as holding entry qualifications in HEFCE’s ‘ABB+’ set: 111,010, +7,030 (+7 per cent)
    • of which:
      • holding GCE A levels 76,700, +4,020 (+6 per cent)
      • holding BTECs 28,580, +3,160 (+12 per cent)
  • Within these 'SNC courses' for 2013-14, 33 per cent are recorded as holding entry qualifications in HEFCE's 'ABB+' set (compared to 34 per cent on the same basis for 2012-13).
  • For other courses at these institutions there are 36,310 UK and EU domiciled acceptances to 2013-14 at this point. This is an increase of 740 (+2 per cent) compared to 2012-13 at the equivalent point in the 2012 cycle.

(These tables have now been superseded by the 2014-15 interim release. The newer tables include a minor adjustment (around 0.3%) for the 2013-14 entry year figures.)

UCAS interim assessment entry year report 2013

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