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Science: Admissions

Volume 472: debated on Wednesday 20 February 2008

To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many students were admitted to a UK university to study an undergraduate course in (a) physics, (b) chemistry, (c) biology, (d) engineering and (e) computer science in each of the last 10 years. (168298)

The latest available information for students entering full and part-time courses is given in the first two tables. Figures for 2006/07 will be available in January 2008.

A new classification for recording subject of study was introduced in 2002/03 and so figures from 2002/03 onwards are not comparable to earlier years.

Recent figures for students obtaining places on full-time undergraduate courses via UCAS are shown in the third table.

Undergraduate entrants by subject of study—UK Higher Education Institutions 1—academic years 1996/97 to 2001/02

Subject of study

Academic year

Physics

Chemistry

Biology

Engineering2

Computer Science

1996/97

3,375

5,750

7,250

37,220

27,245

1997/98

3,535

5,775

7,190

37,810

29,220

1998/99

3,340

5,540

6,960

36,250

32,145

1999/2000

3,075

4,890

6,530

34,985

34,255

2000/01

2,845

4,260

6,315

34,390

38,570

2001/02

2,835

4,145

6,180

35,175

40,975

1 Students from the Open University are excluded from the analysis.

2 Engineering includes—General Engineering, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Naval Architecture, Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Production and Manufacture Engineering, Chemical, Process and Energy Engineering, Others in Engineering and Balanced Combinations.

Notes:

Figures are on a snapshot basis as at 1 December excluding those writing up, on sabbatical or dormant. Figures are rounded to the nearest 5.

Source:

Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) student record.

Undergraduate entrants by subject of study—UK Higher Education Institutions1—Academic years 2002/03 to 2005/06

Subject of study

Academic year

Physics

Chemistry

Biology

Engineering 2

Computer Science

2002/03

3,140

4,710

6,985

32,765

34,600

2003/04

3,210

4,480

7,415

31,465

27,600

2004/05

3,105

4,205

7,455

32,235

22,335

2005/06

3,210

4,440

7,905

31,940

21,675

1 Students from the Open University are excluded from the analysis.

2 Engineering includes—General Engineering, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Naval Architecture, Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Production and Manufacture Engineering, Chemical, Process and Energy Engineering, Others in Engineering and Balanced Combinations.

Notes:

Figures are on a snapshot basis as at 1 December excluding those writing up, on sabbatical or dormant. Figures are rounded to the nearest 5.

Source:

Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) student record.

Accepted applicants to full-time undergraduate courses—year of entry 2005 to 2007

Year of entry 1

Subject

2005

2006

2007

Physics

2,933

2,919

3,219

Chemistry

3,463

3,581

3,895

Biology

4,900

4,288

4,429

Engineering

21,405

19,889

20,713

Computer Science

10,753

9,936

9,905

1 Figures as at October 17 in each year.

Source:

UCAS