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Dept for Education and Employment

Answer

Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many people aged (a) 18 to 21, (b) 21 to 24 and (c) 25 years and over have applied for higher education in each of the last three years; and what percentage of the population in each age group these figures represent. [109978] Mr. Wicks: The latest data on applicants via UCAS are shown in the following table. Although applicants fell between 1998 and 1999, the final number of accepted applicants increased by 1.6 per cent. over the same period. Home domiciled applicants for entry to full-time and sandwich {1} undergraduate courses in the United Kingdom through the universities and colleges admission system (UCAS) 1997-99 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. 1997 1998 1999 Age Number Percentage of Number Percentage of Number Percentage of population {1} population {1} population {1} Under 21 300,926 43.1 303,729 {2}41.0 306,809 40.9 21 to 24 41,000 5.3 37,287 5.1 36,361 5.1 25 and over 56,401 6.0 48,572 5.2 45,521 5.0 Total 398,327 389,588 388,691 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. {1} Based on the averaged 17 and 18 year old population for under 21s, the averaged 21-24 year old population for 21-24s, and the averaged 25-34 year old population for 25s and over. {2} The drop in the participation rate between 1997 and 1998 reflects the unusually large increase in the number of 18 year olds in the population between these years, resulting from a rise in the birth rate. UCAS covers only applicants to full-time and sandwich courses; although similar data for part-time courses are not available, entrant numbers are. The following table shows the numbers of entrants to part-time courses as a proportion of the age group, for the two most recent years; data on part-time entrants for 1999 will not be available until April 2000. The figures show that, in contrast to applicants to full-time courses, participation rates for mature part-time students have risen. The majority of mature students opt to enter higher education via part-time courses. Home domiciled entrants to part-time undergraduate courses {1} in the United Kingdom _________________________________________________________________________________________________. 1997 1998 Age Number Percentage of Number Percentage of population{2} population{2} Under 21 15,227 2.2 16,236 2.2 21 to 24 26,116 3.5 26,645 3.8 25 and over 176,139 18.9 181,572 19.8 Total 217,482 224,453 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. {1} Includes courses in HE institutions, including the Open University, and FE institutions. The figures for the Open University will include some double counting of students who enrol on more than one course. {2} Based on the averaged 18 and 19 year old population for under 21s, the averaged 21-24 year old population for 21-24s, and the averaged 25-34 year old population for 25s and over.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

347 c288W; 109978

Session

1999-00

Subjects

Admissions Applications Higher education

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk