Governance News Alert: Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) Undergraduate January Equal Consideration applicant data for 2025

The data covers applications before the UCAS equal consideration deadline of 29 January, which normally accounts for approximately 80 per cent of applicants in any given cycle. The dashboard shows application figures covering UK regions, tariff groups, subject groups, gender, socio-economic status and ethnicity.

The full data can be found here:

At-a-glance:

• A record number of UK 18-year-olds applied by the January deadline, with a 2 per cent increase in this cohort compared to the same point last year, the first increase since 2022. Because the proportion of 18-year-olds is increasing, the application rate has fallen – from 41.3 per cent last year to 40.6 per cent
• The total number of applicants has increased by 1 per cent compared to January last year – from 594,940 in 2024 to 600,660 in 2025. The total number of international applicants to UCAS has increased by 2.7 per cent. Some of the largest increases were in applicants from China (+2,540) and Ireland (+750)
• Overall applications to higher tariff universities increased by 4 per cent on this time last year. Medium tariff universities remained static, while demand for low tariff institutions fell by 3 per cent
• Demand for STEM courses continues to grow, with increases in applicants to engineering and technology (up 13 per cent) and mathematical sciences (a rise of 7 per cent). Applications grew in Law (9 per cent), architecture, building and planning (9 per cent) and business and management (6 per cent). Applications to medicine and dentistry also rose by 2 per cent
• Subject areas with decreases in applicants include computing (down 10 per cent), languages (a 7 per cent fall ), design and creative and performing arts (3 per cent), geography, earth and environmental studies (5 per cent) and biological and sports science (4 per cent)
• Nursing applications fell by 2 per cent and demand for teacher training courses fell by 11 per cent
• Meanwhile UK mature (aged 21+) applicant numbers decreased by 6.4 per cent
• The data shows growth in the number of 18-year-old applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds across all UK nations. In Wales and Scotland the increase was over 4 per cent
• Applications from white UK applicants (all ages) fell by 1 per cent. Numbers applying in all other ethnic categories increased

Implications for governance:

A rise in the number of UK 18-year-olds applying to university, following two years of flatlining figures, will be welcomed across the sector, as will the overall application increase of 1 per cent compared to this point last year.

However, the rebound in demands is not uniform across higher education. The pattern of high tariff universities benefitting most, while numbers at the least selective institutions go backwards, revealed in the end of cycle figures for 2024, seems to be repeating so far in 2025.

These differences are also apparent in applications from international students, with high tariff institutions increasing interest by 6 per cent, compared to a 7 per cent decrease at lower tariff institutions.

Despite this, the sector-level rise was seen as a positive with Dr Jo Saxton, UCAS chief executive, pointing to strong “global confidence” in UK higher education. As well as China and Ireland, applications from the USA rose by 12 per cent and from Turkey by 24 per cent.

Institutions across the country that are grappling with financial difficulties will be hoping that international postgraduate interest in the UK is similarly positive.

The UCAS chief also said it was “encouraging” to see a record high number of school-leavers applying for university. Despite the rise on this point last year, the application rate has fallen as the population of 18 -year-olds increases. 

Again, the picture is mixed. In the North East, applications fell by 1 per cent, while they have flatlined in the North West, Yorkshire and Humberside and Wales. Governors will therefore wish to consider the implications of the data in the context of their own institutional profile and its region.

Declining interest from mature students has led to suggestions that the sector has more work to do to break down barriers to progression, and better support students from all backgrounds. 

More encouraging is the rise in applications from disadvantaged teenagers, particularly in Wales and Scotland, demonstrating that the resources and attention put into outreach across institutions is bearing fruit.

Governing bodies may find it useful to compare their own institutional application figures so far to those revealed in the UCAS data generally, and for specific cohorts. At a time of acute financial challenges, untapped demand becomes even more critical, and in some cases may suggest a change in the balance of provision. Surges of interest in particular subject areas will be of interest to governing bodies, some of which may well be currently discussing departmental restructuring and portfolio change programmes. 

Engineering, technology and maths continue to perform strongly. Interest has also increased in business and management, despite recent concerns about the quality of courses provided at a minority of institutions, particularly through franchise arrangements.

A rise in applications to medicine and dentistry and allied subjects, after zero growth this time last year, is also an encouraging sign for institutions that offer relevant courses.

The drop in demand, once again, for design and creative and performing arts and languages courses, will no doubt add to ongoing concern about the nature of future provision in these subjects. 

There will also be more widespread concern about the January deadline drop in demand for teacher training places (down a hefty 11 per cent) and nursing courses, which saw a 2 per cent fall overall and a 4 per cent drop in England, on top of substantial declines in previous years. Governors of smaller specialist institutions that are heavily invested in these areas may be particularly worried by these trends. 

Generally, there may be further pressure on institutions affected by falling demand to consider collaborative measures in order to survive in the current challenging environment.