University continues to be a popular route for young people after they finish at school. Despite tuition fees being increased to £9,000 a year in 2010, the number of students attending university has continued to rise, with UCAS predicting there will be up to a million applicants by 2030.
With this in mind, as part of our student hub, let’s delve into the world of university statistics to see how the number of undergraduates has fluctuated over the years and how much having a degree improves employability.
Total applicants to higher education via UCAS
Statistics by the House of Commons Library show how many uni students in the UK there are. The number of applicants to higher education has risen considerably since 1994. In 1994, there were 405,000 applicants to UK universities, with 90% of successful applicants coming from the UK.
A breakdown of applicants to higher education via UCAS
By 2005, the number of total applicants had increased by more than a quarter (28%), to 522 million. Still, UK-based students made up 85% of successful applicants.
Between 2005 and 2010, the number of accepted applicants increased dramatically, rising by a third (33%) from 522,000 to 697,000. In 2015, the number of total successful applicants exceeded 700,000for the first time ever.
Another interesting development was that between 2015 and 2020, UK applicants actually dropped by 2%, from 592,000 to 577,000.
As of 2023, there were 752,000 successful applicants, with just over one in five (21%) applicants coming from overseas.
Statistics can also reveal how many students there are at Oxford, as well as how many students there are at Cambridge. At Oxford there are 26,455, while there are currently 21,656 currently attending Cambridge.
Application acceptances by gender
In 1994, five thousand more males were accepted to UK universities than females. By 2000, there were more females attending UK universities than males, with 52% of the 2000 intake being female.
By 2015, there were 300,000 accepted female applications for the first time in history, whereas male accepted applications were yet to hit the 250,000 mark. By 2020, 57% of accepted applicants were female.
Since 1994, the number of accepted female applicants has increased by 133%, whereas accepted male applicants have risen by just 76%.
With acceptance rates increasing, universities have needed to invest more into student accommodation.
| 1994 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 | 2015 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 389 | 445 | 587 | 592 | 577 | 607 | 612 | 600 | |
| EU | 19 | 24 | 29 | 47 | 51 | 53 | 32 | 24 | 23 |
| Other overseas | 21 | 29 | 49 | 63 | 76 | 99 | 111 | 126 | 129 |
| Total | 405 | 442 | 522 | 697 | 718 | 729 | 750 | 761 | 752 |
Source: House of Commons Library
By 2005, the number of total applicants had increased by more than a quarter (28%), to 522 million. Still, UK-based students made up 85% of successful applicants.
Between 2005 and 2010, the number of accepted applicants increased dramatically, rising by a third (33%) from 522,000 to 697,000. In 2015, the number of total successful applicants exceeded 700,000for the first time ever.
Another interesting development was that between 2015 and 2020, UK applicants actually dropped by 2%, from 592,000 to 577,000.
As of 2023, there were 752,000 successful applicants, with just over one in five (21%) applicants coming from overseas.
Statistics can also reveal how many students there are at Oxford, as well as how many students there are at Cambridge. At Oxford there are 26,455, while there are currently 21,656 currently attending Cambridge.
Application acceptances by gender
In 1994, five thousand more males were accepted to UK universities than females. By 2000, there were more females attending UK universities than males, with 52% of the 2000 intake being female.
Source: House of Commons Library
By 2015, there were 300,000 accepted female applications for the first time in history, whereas male accepted applications were yet to hit the 250,000 mark. By 2020, 57% of accepted applicants were female.
Since 1994, the number of accepted female applicants has increased by 133%, whereas accepted male applicants have risen by just 76%.
With acceptance rates increasing, universities have needed to invest more into student accommodation.
If you’re a student figuring out where to stay while studying, our student accommodation guide has all the information to help you make a decision you’ll be happy with.
Application acceptances by ethnicity
In 1994, more than three-quarters (78%) of all students accepted to university were white, with just 7,000 Black students having their applications accepted.
By 2010, white students made up two-thirds (67%) of all successful university applicants. The number of Black students getting accepted had risen by 285%, while the number of Asian students rose by 115%.
A breakdown of the number of students by ethnicity (1994–2023)
| 1994 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 | 2015 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White | 213 | 240 | 279 | 330 | 341 | 337 | 336 | 327 | 308 |
| Asain | 19 | 30 | 34 | 41 | 52 | 64 | 67 | 69 | 75 |
| Black | 7 | 10 | 16 | 27 | 37 | 42 | 43 | 45 | 48 |
| Mixed | N/A | N/A | 9 | 14 | 19 | 24 | 25 | 27 | 28 |
| Other | 3 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 15 |
| Unkown | 9 | 23 | 19 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 |
| Total | 271 | 340 | 405 | 487 | 532 | 570 | 562 | 563 | 554 |
Source: House of Commons Library
From 2015 onwards, the number of white accepted applicants actually started to fall, dropping by 8% from 337,000 to 308,000. By 2023, Asian students made up 13% of all successful applicants, compared to just 4% in 1994.
Employment rate of university students by degree class
Student job statistics for university students show that students who achieve a first-class degree are most likely to find employment after completing their studies. In all, 88.6% of students who achieve a first go into employment within a year of completing their degree. However, this is only marginally better than students who earn an upper second (2:1).
A breakdown of employment percentage by degree class
Source: GOV.UK
Only 2% more students who gained a first went into employment compared to those who achieved a lower second (2:2). Even students who achieved a third had an employment percentage of 84.7%. This indicates that no matter the grade, having a university degree improves student employability.
If you’re a student looking for ways to boost employability post-university or fill time between lectures, our guide on how to find a job as a student can help.
High-skill employment rate of university students by degree class
For those hoping to go into high-skill employment, gaining a more prestigious degree certainly helps your chances. Those who achieve a first class degree appear to have a nearly seven in ten chance of getting a high-skill job after leaving university.
A breakdown of students who go into high-skill employment by degree class
Source: GOV.UK
Students with a 2:2 are also in a good spot to get a high-skilled position, with 64.1% getting a job that matches their expertise. Even students with a third have a more than 50% chance of getting a high-skilled job.
Did you know… the average car insurance quote for a student is £2,211.52? Read more facts like this on our young driver insurance statistics report.
Employment rate of university students by ethnicity
There is little discrepancy in the employment rate of university students by ethnicity. Close to nine in ten (87.5%) white university students were able to get a job within 12 months of finishing their degree.
This is just 0.9% more than ethnically Asian or Asian British students, and 0.6% more than ethnically Black, African, Caribbean or Black british students.
A breakdown of university students gaining employment by ethnicity
Employment rate of university graduates by gender
Despite there being more successful female applicants, males actually have a higher employment rate after graduating from university. Nearly nine in ten (88.6%) males who graduate from university are able to find employment at the end of their degree, this is 2.5 percentage points.
A breakdown of students gaining employment by gender
Nearly nine in ten (88.6%) males who graduate from university are able to find employment at the end of their degree, this is 2.5 percentage points
Employment rate of university graduates by region
The region with the highest percentage of students graduating was Yorkshire and Humberside, where 88.8% of students who graduated found employment within a year. This was closely followed by the East, where just 0.6 percentage points fewer students found employment.
| Region | Employment percentage |
|---|---|
| East Midlands | 86.9% |
| Eastern | 88.2% |
| London | 87.1% |
| North East | 84.1% |
| North West | 87.4% |
| South East | 87.6% |
| South West | 86.5% |
| West Midlands | 87.2% |
| Yorkshire and Humberside | 88.8% |
Source: GOV.UK
The region with the lowest employment rate percentage for students was the North East. In this region, just 84.1% of students found a job within 12 months.
Employment rate of graduates and non-graduates in England from 2010 to 2022
Statistics show that in 2010, the employment rate of graduates was 84.9%, this was 18% more than the employment rate of non-graduate as 66.9%.
A breakdown of employment rate of graduates and non-graduates in England
Source: Statista
By 2015, the percentage of students employed had increased by 2.2%, to 87.1%. This was almost a fifth (17.5%) more than the employment rate of non-graduates.
Between 2015 and 2022, the employment rate of graduates increased by just 0.2%, whereas the employment rate of non-graduates stayed the same at 69.6%.
