Students in higher education: September 2018 to August 2019

Higher education enrolments by students from Wales

• In 2018/19, the number of students from Wales enrolled in UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) increased by 2.6% from 96,780 in 2017/18 to 99,310, putting an end to the previous six year decline.
• There were 81,105 undergraduate students from Wales. A slight increase on 2017/18 (1.2%).
• The overall increase predominantly came from a rise in the number of postgraduate students from Wales; in 2018/19, there was an increase for the second year in a row, from 16,665 to 18,200 (9.2%).
• There were 20,790 part-time undergraduates from Wales in UK HEI’s in 2018/19. The number increased by 825 (4.1%), following a six year decline.
• For every two men enrolled at a university, there were three women.
• 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 have increased from 121,010 in 2017/18 to 121,880 in 2018/19.
• The number of undergraduate students studying part-time has decreased this year by 555 (3.6%) continuing the decline since 2011/12.
• Full-time undergraduates remained at a similar level to 2017/18, following increases over the previous 3 years.
• The number of postgraduate enrolments increased from 24,875 to 26,350 in 2018/19 (up 5.9%).
• Around two in five postgraduates studied part-time, compared to almost one in five undergraduates.
• Around half of students at Welsh universities came from Wales before they began study.
• The most popular subject group at Welsh universities in 2018/19 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 2018/19 Wales accepted 10,325 more students from other UK countries than it sent to them.
• There were 36,820 students from other UK countries at Welsh universities, compared to 26,500 students from Wales studying at HEIs in the rest of the UK.
• Two in five undergraduates from Wales studied in England, as did one in three postgraduates from Wales.

Higher education qualifications

• The number of qualifications awarded to students from Wales increased to 28,735 in 2018/19.
• Around three quarters of qualifications awarded to students from Wales were undergraduate.
• The number of qualifications awarded by universities in Wales rose slightly in 2018/19, to 39,400.

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 slightly from 1,670 in 2017/18 to 1,705 in 2018/19.