07 February 2018 
Matt Sisson, Projects and Membership Manager
There was a mixed picture in the latest UCAS application figures, which covered data from the 15th January deadline. There was a 0.9% fall in the total number of people applying to university, to 559,000. However, this was despite a 2.5% fall in the UK 18-year old demographic, and the rate of 18-year olds applying actually reached a record high.
Different news sources have focused on different lessons from the data. UCAS itself spins out sections on a 13% fall in applications to nursing courses, and record application levels for English and Northern Irish applicants from disadvantaged areas. The Guardian and the Times Higher explain that the fall in 18 year olds was masked in part by an increase in international demand and applications from EU nations. The BBC looks at the fall in applications from the poorest areas of Scotland.
