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Briefing on shortfall in university places

Increase in applications and shortfall in university places

  • The UCAS application figures for entry to Higher Education in 2010 show a 22.9% increase in applications from 2009 (UCAS data release 8 February 2010).
  • Steve Smith, President of Universities UK has commented: “Last year about 160,000 students who applied didn’t end up going to university. This year, we already know that there are about another 75,000 applying for university. So… there will be a lot of students this year who do not get a place at university.”
  • University Alliance represents 22 universities at the heart of the sector. There have been significant increases in applications across Alliance universities.

Large increase in applications for Science and Maths (STEM) related courses at Alliance universities

  • There has been a large increase in applications to STEM subjects at Alliance universities.
  • At Oxford Brookes University applications to mathematics have increased by 42%.
  • At The University of Portsmouth applications to science are up by 30% – with applications to earth and environmental science up by 42% and to health sciences by 43%.

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