Record numbers of disadvantaged students in the UK have applied to go to university this year, according to official figures that also show international recruitment has held up with a surge in applications from Nigeria, India and China.
According to data published by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (Ucas), overall applications for UK 18-year-olds have exceeded all previous records, raising concerns about competition for places on the most popular courses as some universities try to rein in numbers after over recruiting during the pandemic.
Universities will, however, be pleased to see continuing growth in international student numbers, which went up 3% overall with 135,000 applications. International students pay higher fees than their UK counterparts, which help offset the declining value of domestic fees that have been eroded by inflation.
