Students in higher education institutions: September 2017 to August 2018

Higher education enrolments by students from Wales

• In 2017/18, the number of students from Wales enrolled in UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) continued its eight year decline, falling slightly to 96,780.
• The fall came from a decrease in the number of part-time students, who dropped by 1,880 (6%) in 2017/18.
• For every 2 males enrolled at a university, there were 3 females.
• The number of full-time undergraduate students from Wales has increased from 59,745 to 60,155 in 2017/18 (up 1%).
• The number of postgraduate students from Wales has increased from 15,350 to 16,665 in 2017/18 (up 9%).
• The most popular subject group was Subjects Allied to Medicine, with nursing enrolments comprising most of these.

Higher education enrolments in Wales

• Enrolments at Welsh universities remained at a similar level in 2017/18, following five years of decline.
• There was a decrease of 1,995 (7%) in the number of undergraduate students studying part-time.
• Full-time undergraduates increased again to the highest number on record, at 80,690.
• The number of postgraduate enrolments increased from 24,365 to 25,205 in 2017/18 (up 3%).
• Around two in five postgraduates studied part-time, compared to only one in five undergraduates.
• Over half of students at Welsh universities came from Wales before they began study.
• The most popular subject group at Welsh universities in 2017/18 was Biological Sciences, followed by Subjects allied to medicine.

Cross border flows of full-time students

• Wales is a net importer of full-time students from the UK. In 2017/18 Wales accepted 9,795 more students from other UK countries than it sent to them.
• There were 36,290 students from other UK countries at Welsh universities, compared to 26,495 students from Wales studying at HEIs in the rest of the UK.
• Two in five undergraduates from Wales studied in England, as did just over one in three postgraduates from Wales.

Higher education qualifications

• The number of qualifications awarded to students from Wales decreased to 27,980 in 2017/18.
• Just over three quarters of qualifications awarded to students from Wales were undergraduate.
• The number of qualifications awarded by universities in Wales fell slightly in 2017/18, to 40,085.

Higher Education at Further Education Institutions (FEIs) in Wales

• The number of students on higher education courses at FEIs in Wales are available from 2016/17 onwards.
• The number of students on higher education courses at FEIs in Wales has increased from 1,400 in 2016/17 to 1,670 in 2017/18.