College admissions service UCAS information reveals functions to school and faculty to and from Wales have fallen this yr – however extra candidates are getting presents
Wales is the one UK nation to see a fall in college and faculty functions this yr, official admissions information launched right this moment reveals. Figures printed by admissions service UCAS right this moment (July 17) present a rise within the variety of candidates from all nations within the UK, aside from Wales, which has seen a decline of 0.6%. The variety of candidates from England, Scotland and Northern Eire have elevated by 1.1%, 1.3% and 1.5%, respectively.
In addition to an total drop in functions from Wales, the numbers of 18 year-olds making use of have additionally fallen. There’s additionally dangerous information for college and faculty coffers with a slight fall in whole numbers of functions to universities in Wales, in comparison with final yr.
Numbers of functions from larger paying worldwide college students alone are additionally down in Wales, in comparison with an increase for the UK as an entire. Learn the most important tales in Wales first by signing as much as our each day e-newsletter right here
On the similar time the supply price from Welsh universities and schools for candidates this yr is 94.4%, a 0.1% rise.
How college and faculty functions from and to Wales have fallen this yr
- The variety of Welsh 18-year-old candidates by 30 June has reached 11,720 in comparison with 11,750 on the similar level final yr.
- Total, the entire variety of candidates from Wales at 30 June reached 80, 020 in comparison with 81, 640 on the similar level final yr.
- There have been 11, 920 worldwide undergraduate candidates by way of UCAS to universities in Wales in comparison with 12,550 final yr.
- 94.4% of all college students who utilized to check in Wales earlier than the January deadline are going into the outcomes interval having obtained at the very least one supply from a college or faculty right here, a 0.4% improve on final yr.
For the college sector throughout the UK as an entire the outlook is extra optimistic. The variety of worldwide college students making use of to undergraduate programs in any respect UK universities and schools through UCAS has elevated by 2.2% (up from 135,460 in 2024, to 138,460 in 2025).
Particularly, right this moment’s information reveals a brand new file variety of candidates from China, up by 10% (30,860 in 2024, as much as 33,870 candidates), in addition to year-on-year will increase in candidates from Eire (+15%), Nigeria (+23%) and the USA (+14%).
Money strapped universities making cuts in Wales blame their woes partly on declining numbers of upper paying worldwide college students. All however two posted deficits final yr and a Senedd committee was warned final month that there’s a actual hazard a college in Wales might collapse. A mixed deficit of greater than £70m is predicted this yr and most are reducing jobs and a few jobs and programs to stability the books.
Not like Wales, for the UK as an entire the variety of UK 18-year-olds making use of for an undergraduate course by the 30 June deadline reached a file excessive, right this moment’s UCAS information reveals.
However whereas the variety of UK 18 year-old candidates has elevated, there was a lower in demand from UK mature college students (aged 21+) – 86,310 have utilized, down from 89,690 in 2024 (-3.8%).
This yr, 328,390 UK 18-year-olds utilized by way of UCAS by the 30 June deadline, up from 321,410 (+2.2%) in 2024. This places the applying price (the proportion of the 18-year-old inhabitants who utilized) at 41.2% — down barely from 41.9% final yr. Total, the entire variety of candidates (all ages, all domiciles) has risen to 665,070 this yr, up from 656,760 (+1.3%) in 2024.
The 30 June deadline marks the final level within the undergraduate admissions cycle when candidates could make as much as 5 decisions; after this level all new functions are robotically entered into Clearing.
Dr Jo Sexton, chief government of UCAS stated: “Within the run-up to outcomes day, I might wish to remind college students and their households to do not forget that whereas the overwhelming majority of candidates safe their first selection every year, it’s at all times price having a plan B. My recommendation is to start by revisiting all your authentic 5 decisions in your UCAS utility as your start line.”
