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Dept for Education and Skills

Answer

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills in which academic areas the percentage of higher education students studying a particular subject has fallen since 1997; and by what amounts. [183312] Alan Johnson: The available information is given in the table. A new method of allocating students to subject groups was introduced in 2002/03, the effect of which was to decrease the number of students in the `combined' category and increase those who were allocated to specific subjects. This means that the figures for 2002/03 are not directly comparable with those for earlier years so the comparisons in the table have been made with 2001/02 instead. Distribution of higher education students at UK HE institutions by subject of study _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Percentage of all HE enrolments Subject 1997/98 2001/02 Change Medicine and Dentistry 2.2 2.3 0.0 Subjects Allied to Medicine 9.2 11.0 1.7 Biological Sciences 4.8 4.6 -0.2 Veterinary Science 0.2 0.2 0.0 Agriculture and Related Subjects 0.8 0.8 -0.0 Physical Sciences 3.9 3.2 -0.7 Mathematical Sciences 1.1 1.1 0.0 Computer Science 4.3 5.7 1.4 Engineering and Technology 7.1 6.4 -0.8 Architecture, Building and 2.5 2.2 -0.3 Planning Social, Economic and Political 7.2 7.0 -0.2 Science Law 3.2 3.2 0.0 Business and Administrative 12.4 11.7 -0.7 Studies Librarianship and Information -- -- -- Science Languages 5.1 4.7 -0.4 Humanities 3.4 3.2 -0.2 Creative Arts and Design 5.3 5.7 0.4 Education 7.5 7.4 -0.1 Combined 18.5 18.2 -0.3 Total 100.0 100.0 n/a _________________________________________________________________________________________________. n/a=Not applicable. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency. Percentage of all higher education students in the above subjects in 2002/03 1 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Subject 2002/03 Medicine 2.3 Subjects Allied to Medicine 11.4 Biological Sciences 5.9 Veterinary Science 0.2 Agriculture and Related Subjects 0.7 Physical Sciences 3.3 Mathematical Science 1.2 Computing Science 6.1 Engineering and Technology 6.0 Architecture, Building and Planning 2.1 Social Studies 7.7 Law 3.7 Business and Administrative Studies 13.0 Mass Communications and Documentation 1.9 Languages 5.9 Historical and Philosophical Studies 3.9 Creative Arts and Design 6.3 Education 7.3 Combined 11.2 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. 1 For the academic year 2002/03 HESA uses a different method of allocating students to subject groups and so figures are not comparable to earlier years. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

183312; 424 c94-6W

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Higher education Students Student numbers

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

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