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Student numbers: In short

There are around 2.9 million students in UK higher education. This includes home and overseas students, those studying full-time and part-time, undergraduates and postgraduates and students in all years of study.

The UK’s unified higher education system, combining universities and former polytechnics, was established in the mid-1990s. Student numbers have almost doubled since then but there have been phases of faster and slower growth, and times when numbers have stalled or fallen.

UK higher education is diverse and there are many different factors driving trends in the size of individual sub-sectors. The sector has undergone substantial changes over the last three decades, including the introduction/increase in undergraduate tuition fees, shifts in funding for teaching, changes to student finance, ongoing devolution and increased internationalisation.

This short briefing looks at changes in the size of the student population overall and for different groups of students. The longer briefing Higher education student numbers includes more detail on applications to university, entrants, entry rates and local data.

Summary of key trends in student numbers and contributory factors

Late 1990s and 2000s

Growth largely driven by increases in the undergraduate population linked to a rising number of young people in the UK.

Early 2010s

Static or falling student numbers due to i) falling part-time home students, particularly on ‘other’ undergraduate courses, ii) a short-lived fall in UK and EU undergraduates when fees increased in 2012/13, and iii) a fall in the number of ‘young’ people in the UK.

Late 2010s and early 2020s

Modest, then faster increases mainly driven by non-EU overseas students, particularly on taught postgraduate courses.

Mid 2020s

A modest fall due to a partial reversal of the earlier increases among overseas postgraduates, following new restrictions on visas for work and dependents.

How has the overall student population changed?

There were just over 1.5 students in UK higher education in 1994/95. Numbers exceeded 2 million in 2000/01, 2.5 million in 2010/11 and peaked at almost 3 million in 2022/23.

Sources: Higher Education Statistics Agency, Students by level of study 2000/01 to 2024/25; HESA, Higher education student enrolments and qualifications obtained at higher education institutions in the United Kingdom for the academic year 2006/07 (and earlier editions); HESA, Students in higher education 2000/01, Table A (and earlier editions)

The chart above highlights the most important breaks in the data, when coverage of students or providers changed. These breaks are not shown in later charts, which use the latest published data/definitions. Other more incremental changes to the data coverage, not highlighted above, include transfers of existing further education providers into the sector in the 1990s.

Phases of change

Sources: HESA, Students by level of study 2000/01 to 2024/25; HESA, Higher education student enrolments and qualifications obtained at higher education institutions in the United Kingdom for the academic year 2006/07 (and earlier editions); HESA, Students in higher education 2000/01, Table A (and earlier editions)

Trends for different groups

Each section below gives the longest broadly consistent time series available from published sources.

Where students come from

Sources: HESA, HE student enrolments by permanent address and region of HE provider 2014/15 to 2024/25; HESA Higher education student enrolments and qualifications obtained at higher education institutions in the United Kingdom for the academic year 2013/14 (and earlier editions); HESA, Students in higher education 2000/01, Table A (and earlier editions)

Changes in non-EU overseas students have largely driven trends in the overall student population over the last decade. Home student numbers increased by 2.4% per year between 2015/16 and 2022/23 (compared to 11.5% for non-EU overseas students) and have hardly changed in the last two years.

The reduction in international students in the last two years followed the introduction of restrictions on their ability to bring dependents to the UK (in January 2024) and to switch to a work visa.

The briefing International students in UK higher education gives more detail and background on the subject

How they study

Sources: HESA, HE student enrolments by level of study 2020/21 to 2024/25 (and earlier editions); HESA Higher education student enrolments and qualifications obtained at higher education institutions in the United Kingdom for the academic year 2013/14 (and earlier editions)

The chart above shows that it was the decline in part-time students which resulted in slower growth in the student total population in the early 2010s. Full-time student numbers fell in 2012/13, but soon resumed earlier rates of growth. Nearly all the upturn in student numbers in the late 2010s and early 2020s was in full-time students.

All data in this briefing uses headcounts of students rather than full-time equivalents (FTEs). Changes in part-time student numbers would have less impact on the whole student population if FTE numbers were used, since part-time students amount to less than one FTE.

The briefing Part-time undergraduate students in England looks in detail at these students and possible reasons for the decline in their number during the 2010s.

What level they study at

Source: HESA, Students by level of study 2000/01 to 2024/25

Undergraduates made up most growth in absolute student numbers up to the mid-2010s. The postgraduate population increased much faster in the late 2010s and early 2020s. The charts below break down entrant numbers further to illustrate different trends within each broad group.

Source: HESA, HE student enrolments by level of study 2020/21 to 2024/25 (and earlier editions); HESA Higher education student enrolments and qualifications obtained at higher education institutions in the United Kingdom for the academic year 2013/14 (and earlier editions)

‘Other undergraduates’

Most undergraduates are studying for first degrees. The remainder, including those on foundation degrees or short credit-bearing courses, are known as ‘other undergraduates’. The number of these students fell by 65% between 2008/09 and 2016/17. Many of these students were part-time and this was an important factor behind the overall fall in part-time study during this period (shown earlier).

First degree students

75% of the 1.9 million first degree students in 2024/25 were home full-time students. 73% of this group were ‘young’ entrants (aged under 21) who are therefore a key constituent of the overall student population.

In simple terms the number of young full-time entrants is determined by the size of the ‘young’ population and the proportion who enter higher education (the entry rate). Trends in both are shown below.

Sources: Office for National Statistics (ONS), Mid-year population estimates (via www.nomisweb.co.uk); Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), Undergraduate end of cycle data resources 2025 (and earlier editions)

The 18 to 20 year old population grew by 27% from the mid-1990s to 2011 (almost 180,000 per single age cohort on average), a demographic change closely linked to the rising number of births in the late 1970s and 1980s. This, combined with overall increases in the entry rate, was the main factor behind the increase in full‑time first degree students up to 2010, and played an important role in the growth of the whole student population.

The 18 to 20 year old population fell by 9% from 2011 to 2020 (around 75,000 per single age cohort). However, this was outweighed by an increase in the entry rate from 39% to 49% over the decade. The rate fell by almost two percentage points in 2012/13 (when the fee cap nearly trebled) but recovered soon afterwards. The increase could be related in part to the removal of the student numbers cap in 2015/16. The combined effect was that the number of young full-time entrants still increased over the decade, just at a slower rate than previously.

The 18 to 20 year old population started increasing again in 2021 and is projected to continue increasing until 2030.

The longer briefing Higher education student numbers includes analysis of trends in entry rates for different groups of students with a particular focus on disadvantaged groups.

Postgraduates

Students on postgraduate taught courses (PGTs, which are mainly masters degrees) make up the large majority of postgraduates. Changes in PGTs have driven trends in the overall number of postgraduates (and hence been a major factor in recent changes in the total student population). Their number increased by 61%, or almost 290,000, between 2017/18 and 2022/23.

The charts below illustrate that i) most of this increase in PGTs was in overseas students, and ii) changes in overseas PGTs were an important cause of recent changes in the whole student population.

Source: HESA, HE student enrolments by level of study 2020/21 to 2024/25 (and earlier editions)

Student numbers in 2025/26 and beyond

There is some limited data on student numbers beyond 2024/25. These show a mixed picture:

• The number of full-time undergraduates accepted by UCAS increased in 2025 by 2.3% to a record high of 578,000. The number accepted in the 2026 cycle to early September was up by 1.1%.
• Data on the number of sponsored study visas granted to international students (which includes postgraduates and small numbers not on HE courses), shows an increase of 3% in 2025. Numbers have fallen in the first half of 2026. The latest 12-month total is 12% below the figure for the previous year, and 27% below the 2022/23 peak.
• Separate data from one international admissions platform on the number of Confirmations of Acceptance for Studies issued by providers showed an annual fall of 27% for the September 2026 intake, following an 8% increase in September 2025.

Local data

The longer briefing Higher education student numbers includes data on young entry rates by region and constituency. Other sources of local student data include:

• Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) data on a student’s local authority outside of term-time broken down by country of country of provider and individual provider
• Admission agency UCAS’s dashboard of constituency data
• The Department for Education’s annual statistics report Widening Participation in Higher Education includes local data on participation broken down by free school meal eligibility, sex, ethnicity and special educational needs.

Further information

The longer briefing Higher education student numbers includes more detail and analysis on the subject

Readers may also be interested in the following Library briefings:

• International students UK higher education
• Equality of access and outcomes in higher education in England
• Higher education finances and funding in England
• Tuition fees in England: History, debates, and international comparisons
• Part-time undergraduate students in England

HESA publishes a wide range of open data on students. The admissions agency UCAS produces regular updates throughout the year on applicants to full-time undergraduate courses and data on the number accepted. All these are listed on its undergraduate statistics and reports page. Department for Education data on higher entry for young people from England are included in their Participation measures in higher education and Widening participation in higher education bulletins.