The number of white British students applying to UK undergraduate courses has fallen to the lowest level in 16 years, figures show, with experts warning of “endemic challenges” to higher education access.
According to recent data from Ucas, 306,130 white UK applicants of all ages applied to courses by the equal consideration deadline at the end of January.
This was 3 per cent less than the year before, making white applicants the only ethnic group to shrink year-on-year.
It also means that applicant levels for white British students have fallen to their lowest level since 2008 – and are currently 22 per cent below 2010’s peak year, of 392,590 applicants.
