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Higher Education: Student Numbers

Volume 458: debated on Tuesday 13 March 2007

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many applications were made to (a) university and (b) Russell Group universities in each year from 1996 to 2007, broken down by (i) socio-economic group and (ii) ethnicity. (122623)

The Department does not hold data on numbers of applications by type of institution and (i) socio-economic group, and (ii) ethnicity, or numbers of entrants by type of institution and socio-economic group prior to 2002/03. The latest available information relates to entrants to full-time undergraduate courses and is shown in the following tables.

Number of UK domiciled entrants to full-time undergraduate1 courses at UK higher education institutions by national statistics socio-economic classification all institutions and Russell Group institutions—academic years 2002/03 to 2005/06

2002/03

2003/04

2004/05

2005/06

Of which:

Of which:

Of which:

Of which:

Socio-economic status (NS-SEC)

All HEIs

Russell Group

All HEIs

Russell Group

All HEIs

Russell Group

All HEIs

Russell Group

1-32

151,100

41,965

166,040

47,165

167,330

47,840

171,420

45,890

4-73

67,300

10,445

73,940

11,535

72,665

11,680

78,830

11,465

Total known

218,400

52,410

239,975

58,700

239,995

59,520

250,250

57,355

Of which:

Percentage from:

1-32

69.2

80.1

69.2

80.4

69.7

80.4

68.5

80.0

4-73

30.8

19.9

30.8

19.6

30.3

19.6

31.5

20.0

Not known4

137,070

18,585

119,415

11,920

119,465

11,600

128,770

14,110

Total

355,470

70,995

359,390

70,620

359,460

71,120

379,020

71,465

1 Includes first degrees, foundation degrees, higher national diplomas, higher national certificates and diplomas of higher education only.

2 Includes higher managerial and professional occupations, lower managerial and professional occupations and intermediate occupations.

3 Includes small employers and own account workers, lower supervisory and technical occupations, semi-routine occupations and routine occupations.

4 Includes entrants who did not state their parental occupation, those who had never worked, those who were long term unemployed and those for whom it was not possible to derive the NS-SEC.

Source:

Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)

Notes:

Figures are on a snapshot basis as at 1 December and are rounded to the nearest 5, therefore components may not sum to totals.

Despite the claims that some have made that the variable fee system would put off those from less well off backgrounds, the latest UCAS figures for students applying for entry in autumn 2007 indicate that this has not happened. The figures indicate that although applicants from less affluent families are still in the minority, since 2005 there has been a bigger year-on-year percentage increase from applicants from the lower socio-economic groups than from applicants from more affluent backgrounds. As a result, the proportion of applicants who are from the lower socio-economic groups has risen from 30.9 per cent. in 2005 to 31.3 per cent. this year.

Number of UK domiciled entrants to full-time undergraduate courses at UK higher education institutions by ethnicity all institutions and Russell Group institutions—academic years 1996/97 to 2000/01

1996/97

1997/98

1998/99

1999/2000

2000/01

Of which:

Of which:

Of which:

Of which:

Of which:

Ethnicity

All HEIs

Russell Group

All HEIs

Russell Group

All HEIs

Russell Group

All HEIs

Russell Group

All HEIs

Russell Group

White

249,890

43,265

259,330

43,550

256,835

45,825

258,710

47,700

259,080

52,655

Black Caribbean

4,180

145

4,310

155

3,955

160

3,710

190

3,725

190

Black African

6,090

340

6,230

325

6,800

385

6,670

470

7,400

580

Black other

1,755

85

1,945

100

2,060

140

2,120

135

2,305

175

Indian

12,305

1,470

13,190

1,685

13,630

1,755

13,995

1,890

14,920

2,420

Pakistani

6,745

605

7,215

610

7,380

595

7,680

695

8,075

865

Bangladeshi

1,830

180

1,955

180

2,025

200

2,185

205

2,465

275

Chinese

2,950

630

3,100

665

3,090

640

3,335

685

3,405

855

Asian other

3,610

600

3,755

655

3,600

655

3,695

720

3,985

875

Other

4,855

755

6,095

850

5,670

865

5,730

910

6,275

1,155

Total known

294,205

48,070

307,115

48,780

305,035

51,225

307,825

53,590

311,630

60,040

Information refused

16,485

2,430

16,645

4,555

15,340

3,375

9,400

860

8,395

1,330

Information not yet sought

8,330

2,565

7,325

1,280

5,240

1,515

4,905

1,255

4,055

1,275

Not known

2,315

600

4,040

890

5,755

870

6,130

935

6,925

965

Total

321,335

53,665

335,130

55,505

331,370

56,985

328,265

56,640

331,005

63,610

Notes:

Figures are on a snapshot basis as at 1 December and are rounded to the nearest 5.

Source:

Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)

Number of UK domiciled entrants to full-time undergraduate courses at UK higher education institutions by ethnicity: all institutions and Russell Group institutions—academic years 2001/02 to 2005/06

2001/02

2002/03

2003/04

2004/05

2005/06

Of which:

Of which:

Of which:

Of which:

Of which:

Ethnicity

All HEIs

Russell Group

All HEIs

Russell Group

All HEIs

Russell Group

All HEIs

Russell Group

All HEIs

Russell Group

White

270,155

55,080

282,210

59,515

283,940

59,035

285,265

59,560

300,290

60,115

Black or Black British— Caribbean

4,390

260

4,810

345

5,085

330

5,475

305

5,855

305

Black or Black British—African

8,670

735

9,710

840

11,335

960

12,680

970

14,220

1,050

Other Black background

1,310

85

1,540

80

1,500

100

1,410

90

1,490

75

Asian or Asian British—Indian

15,670

2,725

15,695

2,865

15,375

2,835

15,245

2,870

15,475

2,845

Asian or Asian British—Pakistani

9,060

1,045

9,215

1,115

9,290

1,130

9,415

1,200

9,765

1,150

Asian or Asian British—Bangladeshi

2,735

320

2,730

340

2,865

295

3,565

370

3,745

300

Chinese

3,755

995

3,870

1,090

3,735

1,100

3,905

1,135

3,820

1,100

Other Asian background

3,940

850

4,230

985

4,015

940

4,300

995

4,700

975

Mixed

5,435

1,275

6,560

1,575

7,305

1,695

8,330

1,890

9,880

2,035

Other Ethnic background

2,970

500

2,840

470

2,905

420

3,110

480

3,655

565

Total known

328,090

63,870

343,415

69,215

347,350

68,835

352,695

69,860

372,890

70,515

Information refused

10,375

2,450

8,000

1,430

7,250

1,080

5,505

755

4,650

565

Not known

11,265

1,505

9,240

1,000

10,120

1,165

7,205

1,220

7,800

1,685

Total

349,730

67,825

360,655

71,640

364,720

71,080

365,410

71,835

385,340

72,765

Note:

Figures are on a snapshot basis as at 1 December and are rounded to the nearest 5.

Source:

Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)

As the new ethnicity classification was introduced in 2001/02, the figures from 2001/02 are not directly comparable with the figures up to 2000/01.