Record Number Of 18-Year-Olds Accept Placement At UK Universities

According to updated figures from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), a record number of 18-year-olds in the UK have accepted university places this year.

There will be 272,500 of this age group starting at UK universities – up by 7% on last year but a sharp fall in EU students coming to the UK means overall university numbers are slightly down this year.

UCAS head, Clare Marchant, said students had worked hard for places despite incredibly trying circumstances.

These latest figures show rising numbers of UK students of all ages getting university places, up to 448,000, along with more overseas students coming to the UK from countries such as China and Nigeria.

The admission service’s head of data, Richard O’Kelly, says the resilience of rising demand for university places has confounded earlier warnings about the impact of Covid.

Despite the switch to online learning, lack of access to social activities and complaints about value for money, more UK students have accepted places than before the pandemic.

But the overall figure of almost 508,000 new students is slightly down on this point last year, after a 56% fall in students from EU countries such as France, Germany and Italy.

Applications are still open for this year’s courses, but the trends show record numbers of UK school-leavers heading to university.