The number of England-domiciled 18 year old January deadline applicants rose by around 0.7 per cent over last year, while the number of applicants from overseas also continued to grow.
This morning’s UCAS January deadline data reveals that total applicant numbers are down slightly (about 0.2 per cent on 2023), continuing a trend that has persisted over the last three years. This decline is driven by a fall in the number of mature student applicants, with the number of 18 year old applicants just 2,000 short of the 2022 record.
Despite predictions to the contrary, this suggests that demand for university education among school leavers is still very strong. However, the declining numbers of mature applicants (continuing a two-year trend) should be a concern for a government focused on upskilling and mid-life career changes.
In other words, there is no simplistic narrative that can explain the many complex ways in which demand for higher education is changing. January applicants represent about 70 per cent of the cycle total (and 70 per cent of acceptances), though this proportion has declined in recent years as it has become more popular (particularly among mature students) to enter the UCAS system in June or later.
