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Degrees: Ethnic Groups

Volume 463: debated on Monday 3 September 2007

To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills (1) how many and what percentage of students from (a) Asian Bangladeshi, (b) Asian Chinese, (c) Asian Indian, (d) Asian Pakistani, (e) other Asian, (f) Black African, (g) Black Caribbean, (h) Other Black, (i) White and (j) other ethnic backgrounds (i) applied and (ii) were accepted for (A) full-time and (b) part-time first undergraduate honours degrees in each year since 1997; (148119)

(2) how many and what percentage of students from (a) Asian Bangladeshi, (b) Asian Chinese, (c) Asian Indian, (d) Asian Pakistani, (e) other Asian, (f) Black African, (g) Black Caribbean, (h) Other Black, (i) White and (j) other ethnic backgrounds (i) applied and (ii) were accepted for (A) foundation degrees, (B) undergraduate honours degrees and (C) HNDs in each year since 1997.

The available information is shown in the tables. The figures are taken from data collected by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) which are limited to students who apply to full-time undergraduate courses via the UCAS application system. The figures do not therefore cover part-time students, nor those full-time students who apply directly to Higher Education Institutions.

UCAS do not allocate applicants to specific course types because students can submit up to six applications to one or more of First Degree, Foundation Degree, HMD or other courses. For acceptances, the figures for Degrees include both first degrees and foundation degrees.

A new classification of ethnic group was introduced in 2001 which allowed those students of mixed ethnicity to be classified in more detail. Figures for 2000 and earlier are therefore not strictly comparable with those for 2001 and later years.

UK Domiciled Applicants by Ethnic Group, UK Higher Education Institutions, Year of Entry 1997 to 2006

1997

1998

1999

2000

Ethnic Group

Number

Percentage

Number

Percentage

Number

Percentage

Number

Percentage

Asian Bangladeshi

2,461

0.7

2,574

0.7

2,854

0.8

3,013

0.8

Asian Chinese

3,477

0.9

3,353

0.9

3,570

1.0

3,594

1.0

Asian Indian

15,317

4.1

15,910

4.4

16,590

4.6

17,024

4.7

Asian Pakistani

9,124

2.4

9,482

2.6

9,944

2.8

10,223

2.8

Other Asian

4,581

1.2

4,553

1.3

4,606

1.3

4,699

1.3

Black African

7,687

2.1

7,061

2.0

7,091

2.0

7,517

2.1

Black Caribbean

4,832

1.3

4,547

1.3

4,540

1.3

4,370

1.2

Other Black

2,296

0.6

2,431

0.7

2,517

0.7

2,724

0.8

White

315,137

84.4

300,927

83.8

299,620

83.2

298,395

82.7

Other ethnic backgrounds

6,367

1.7

6,346

1.8

6,749

1.9

7,171

2.0

Total with known ethnic backgrounds

373,276

100.0

359,182

100.0

360,080

100.0

360,730

100.0

Unknown

27,048

32,404

30,610

30,361

Total including unknown

398,327

389,588

388,691

389,091

200120022003

Ethnic Group

Number

Percentage

Number

Percentage

Number

Percentage

Asian Bangladeshi

3,278

0.9

3,074

0.8

3,272

0.9

Asian Chinese

3,783

1.0

3,754

1.0

3,799

1.1

Asian Indian

17,234

4.7

16,309

4.4

16,402

4.6

Asian Pakistani

11,040

3.0

10,202

2.8

10,735

3.0

Other Asian

4,450

1.2

4,544

1.2

4,706

1.3

Black African

8,546

2.3

8,992

2.4

10,856

3.0

Black Caribbean

4,823

1.3

4,676

1.3

4,926

1.4

Other Black

1,072

0.3

1,060

0.3

1,237

0.3

White

302,636

82.6

304,366

82.9

290,769

81.2

Other ethnic backgrounds1

9,729

2.7

10,159

2.8

11,241

3.1

Total with known ethnic backgrounds

366,591

100.0

367,136

100.0

357,943

100.0

Unknown

33,054

34,718

31,179

Total including unknown

399,645

401,854

409,968

200420052006

Ethnic Group

Number

Percentage

Number

Percentage

Number

Percentage

Asian Bangladeshi

3,538

0.9

3,684

0.9

3,964

1.0

Asian Chinese

4,069

1.1

4,029

1.0

3,935

1.0

Asian Indian

16,471

4.3

17,110

4.1

16,977

4.1

Asian Pakistani

11,066

2.9

11,661

2.8

11,705

2.9

Other Asian

4,591

1.2

5,339

1.3

5,289

1.3

Black African

12,206

3.2

15,572

3.7

16,120

3.9

Black Caribbean

5,194

1.3

5,984

1.4

6,321

1.5

Other Black

1,251

0.3

1,564

0.4

1,536

0.4

White

314,251

81.5

339,781

80.7

328,013

79.9

Other ethnic backgrounds1

12,920

3.4

16,263

3.9

16,503

4.0

Total with known ethnic backgrounds

385,557

100.0

420,987

100.0

410,363

100.0

Unknown

27,777

23,643

21,833

Total including unknown

413,334

444,630

432,196

1 Other ethnic backgrounds includes mixed white/Asian, white/black African, white/black Carribean and other mixed backgrounds. Note: Percentages are in terms of the number of students with known ethnic backgrounds.

UK Domiciled Acceptances by Ethnic Group and Qualification Aim, UK Higher Education Institutions, Year of Entry 1997 to 2006

1997

1998

Degree

HND

Degree

HND

EthnicGroup

Number

Percentage

Number

Percentage

Number

Percentage

Number

Percentage

Asian Bangladeshi

1,527

0.6

222

0.9

1,627

0.6

181

0.8

Asian Chinese

2,444

0.9

288

1.2

2,448

1.0

245

1.1

Asian Indian

10,154

3.9

1,506

6.3

10,669

4.2

1,431

6.4

Asian Pakistani

5,487

2.1

865

3.6

5,745

2.3

853

3.8

Other Asian

3,055

1.2

288

1 .2

3,049

1.2

244

1.1

Black African

4,249

1.6

538

2.3

3,962

1.6

542

2.4

Black Caribbean

2,745

1.1

437

1.8

2,580

1.0

368

1.7

Other Black

1,338

0.5

188

0.8

1,437

0.6

205

0.9

White

224,448

86.4

19,140

80.1

216,882

85.9

17,746

79.9

Other ethnic backgrounds

4,213

1.6

416

1.7

4,213

1.7

397

1.8

Total with known ethnic backgrounds

259,660

100.0

23,888

100.0

252,612

100.0

22,212

100.0

Unknown

16,843

2,927

19,728

3,668

Total including unknown

276,503

26,815

272,340

25,880

19992000

Degree

HND

Degree

HND

Ethnic Group

Number

Percentage

Number

Percentage

Number

Percentage

Number

Percentage

Asian Bangladeshi

1,817

0.7

232

1.0

2,051

0.8

239

1.0

Asian Chinese

2,618

1.0

258

1.2

2,746

1.0

253

1.1

Asian Indian

11,446

4.4

1,521

6.9

12,253

4.7

1,416

6.2

Asian Pakistani

6,030

2.3

1,042

4.7

6,486

2.5

976

4.3

Other Asian

3,137

1.2

262

1.2

3,453

1.3

246

1.1

Black African

4,201

1.6

519

2.3

4,604

1.8

489

2.1

Black Caribbean

2,605

1.0

400

1.8

2,609

1.0

416

1.8

Other Black

1,545

0.6

204

0.9

1,697

0.6

225

1.0

White

219,922

85.3

17,284

78.1

222,046

84.4

18,080

79.2

Other ethnic backgrounds

4,602

1.8

420

1.9

5,112

1.9

489

2.1

Total with known ethnic backgrounds

257,923

100.0

22,142

100.0

263,057

100.0

22,829

100.0

Unknown

19,417

3,583

18,752

4,080

Total including unknown

277,340

25,725

281,809

26,909

20012002

Degree

HND

Degree

HND

Ethnic Group

Number

Percentage

Number

Percentage

Number

Percentage

Number

Percentage

Asian Bangladeshi

2,148

0.8

295

1.3

2,239

0.8

217

1.2

Asian Chinese

2,935

1.1

250

1.1

3,002

1.1

192

1.1

Asian Indian

13,030

4.7

1,417

6.2

12,812

4.5

1,000

5.6

Asian Pakistani

7,424

2.7

1,057

4.6

7,259

2.5

798

4.4

Other Asian

3,283

1.2

235

1.0

3,462

1.2

159

0.9

Black African

5,494

2.0

518

2.3

5,940

2.1

465

2.6

Black Caribbean

3,058

1.1

433

1.9

3,141

1.1

350

1.9

Other Black

686

0.2

84

0.4

735

0.3

68

0.4

White

231,370

83.6

18,052

78.9

238,351

83.7

14,312

79.6

Other ethnic backgrounds1

7,182

2.6

533

2.3

7,793

2.7

422

2.3

Total with known ethnic backgrounds

276,610

100.0

22,874

100.0

284,734

100.0

17,983

100.0

Unknown

21,447

4,541

24,726

4,282

Total including unknown

298,057

27,415

309,460

22,265

20032004

Degree

HND

Degree

HND

Ethnic Group

Number

Percentage

Number

Percentage

Number

Percentage

Number

Percentage

Asian Bangladeshi

2,381

0.8

167

1.1

2,681

0.9

124

1.1

Asian Chinese

3,067

1.0

132

0.9

3,311

1.1

106

0.9

Asian Indian

13,178

4.5

785

5.4

13,147

4.4

555

4.8

Asian Pakistani

7,618

2.6

713

4.9

7,999

2.7

513

4.5

Other Asian

3,491

1.2

151

1.0

3,427

1.1

105

0.9

Black African

7,305

2.5

467

3.2

8,076

2.7

355

3.1

Black Caribbean

3,379

1.1

285

1.9

3,584

1.2

208

1.8

Other Black

883

0.3

53

0.4

843

0.3

54

0.5

White

244,302

83.1

11,452

78.3

247,992

82.4

9,147

79.6

Other ethnic backgrounds1

8,509

2.9

426

2.9

9,878

3.3

320

2.8

Total with known ethnic backgrounds

294,113

100.0

14,631

100.0

300,938

100.0

11,487

100.0

Unknown

22,129

3,069

19,599

2,271

Total including unknown

316,242

17,700

320,537

13,758

20052006

Degree

HND

Degree

HND

Ethnic Group

Number

Percentage

Number

Percentage

Number

Percentage

Number

Percentage

Asian Bangladeshi

2,774

0.8

117

1.2

3,058

1.0

89

1.2

Asian Chinese

3,311

1.0

78

0.8

3,257

1.0

54

0.7

Asian Indian

13,781

4.2

492

4.9

13,688

4.3

378

5.2

Asian Pakistani

8,458

2.6

455

4.6

8,635

2.7

377

5.2

Other Asian

3,995

1.2

87

0.9

3,929

1.2

86

1.2

Black African

10,114

3.1

382

3.8

10,673

3.4

300

4.2

Black Caribbean

4,233

1.3

220

2.2

4,571

1.4

154

2.1

Other Black

1,064

0.3

52

0.5

1,071

0.3

39

0.5

White

271,394

81.8

7,724

77.4

257,059

80.7

5,448

75.6

Other ethnic backgrounds1

12,476

3.8

371

3.7

12,546

3.9

280

3.9

Total with known ethnic backgrounds

331,600

100.0

9,978

100.0

318,487

100.0

7,205

100.0

Unknown

17,248

1,418

18,451

1,421

Total including unknown

348,848

11,396

336,938

8,626

1 Other ethnic backgrounds includes mixed white/Asian, white/black African, white/black Carribean and other mixed backgrounds. Note: Percentages are in terms of the number of students with known ethnic backgrounds.