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Introduction - Students 2007/08

This publication is one of four reference volumes published annually by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). HESA is a company limited by guarantee, and is owned by the United Kingdom (UK) higher education sector through the representative bodies Universities UK and GuildHE. HESA collects data from publicly-funded higher education institutions (HEIs) in the UK on behalf of funding bodies and government departments, in a framework underpinned by legislation.

This volume draws on HESA’s collection of data about students in HEIs during the academic year 2007/08, that is, the period 1 August 2007 to 31 July 2008. It covers data supplied by 166 HEIs (132 in England, 11 in Wales, 19 in Scotland, 4 in Northern Ireland); one of the English HEIs, The University of Buckingham, is a non-publicly-funded institution voluntarily providing data to HESA. The data collection procedure is uniform across all institutions, regardless of size, nature, and location; the range of data fields collected is administration-dependent to a limited extent. HESA does not collect data from further education colleges (FECs). Data on HE provision in FECs is accordingly not included in this volume except for students funded indirectly through HEIs, in which case it is reported by the HEI through which funding passes.

For a limited period after the completion of normal data collection, an institution may, when required or approved to do so by the relevant funding body, submit data to the ‘Fixed Database’ through the HESA data collection system, in order to correct material errors in the data originally submitted and included in the ‘Collection Database’. Data from the ‘Fixed Database’ is available about 16 months after the closure of the original collection. This means that the ‘Fixed Database’ for the 2007/08 student data collection on which this volume is based will be available from April 2010. Although some corrections are applied to the funding models used by the funding bodies prior to general availability of the ‘Fixed Database’, this volume is based entirely on the ‘Collection Database’.

The other reference volumes published by HESA are as follows.

Resources of Higher Education Institutions. This volume brings together information about the finances and the staff of HEIs. Tabulations are included which record and analyse income and expenditure, and the characteristics of staff, at the institutional level.

Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education. This volume draws on the Destinations of Leavers from HE (DLHE) survey, and provides information about patterns of employment and further study or training at a point about six months after completion. DLHE covers leavers from part-time as well as full-time programmes.

Higher Education Statistics for the United Kingdom. This is the only HESA reference volume that currently falls within the National Statistics framework, and it accordingly carries the National Statistics logo as well as that of HESA. It provides an overview of higher education in the UK from a statistical perspective, including statistics about applications, participation, institutional finance, staffing, student awards, and loans. To achieve this broad coverage, this volume draws on data collected by other bodies as well as HESA, and in particular includes some information about directly funded HE provision in FECs.

HESA also publishes annually two Statistical First Releases within the National Statistics framework. Detailed data for institutional planning purposes is published on CD (HE Planning Plus and HE Finance Plus). The HESA Information Provision Service exists to meet more specialist needs of data users on a bespoke basis. The Higher Education Information Database for Institutions (heidi) commenced operation in April 2007, and offers a subscription service to institutions and approved HE bodies to allow the interrogation of HESA and other data through the production and export of tabular reports, and their display as charts.

Data protection

In order to comply with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Human Rights Act 1998, HESA implements a strategy in published and released tabulations designed to minimise the risk of disclosure of personal information about any individual. The tabulations in this volume are derived from the HESA non-statutory populations1 and may differ slightly from those published by related statutory bodies or in National Statistics publications. This strategy involves rounding all numbers to the nearest multiple of 5. A summary of this strategy is as follows:

  1. 0, 1, 2 are rounded to 0
  2. All other numbers are rounded to the nearest multiple of 5

So for example 3 is represented as 5, 22 is represented as 20, 3286 is represented as 3285 while 0, 20, 55, 3510 remain unchanged.

This rounding strategy is also applied to total numbers; the consequence of this is that the sum of numbers in each row or column rarely matches the total shown precisely. Note that subject level data calculated by apportionment is also rounded in accordance with this strategy.

Average values, proportions and FTE values prepared by HESA are not usually affected by the above strategy, and are calculated on precise raw numbers.

Percentages calculated on populations which contain 52 or fewer individuals are suppressed and represented as ‘..’ as are averages based on populations of 7 or fewer.

Format of publications

Commencing with the 2002/03 cycle of publications, HESA reference volumes now comprise a relatively slim printed volume containing only a limited range of tables, together with a CD, which contains all the remaining data familiar to users from earlier years, supplemented with additional and more detailed tables. The tables on the CD are in Microsoft® Excel 2003 format. This has the further benefit of allowing users to select data from the tables and manipulate how it is displayed. However, arithmetical manipulations should be carried out with caution because of the effect of the rounding strategy described above.

Change in population definition

The full set of students included in the HESA data collection is adjusted to produce the HESA Standard Registration Population (SRP), for example by the exclusion of students of dormant status during the entire reporting year. A detailed account of the SRP may be found in the definitions section of this volume. The SRP forms the basis for HESA reporting of student data. From 2007/08 onwards, the definition of the SRP has been changed to exclude two further subsets of students.

One of these subsets is very small, around 40 in total in 2007/08 spread across many institutions, and comprises students intermitting for a year to serve as sabbatical officers of student unions; their exclusion from the SRP has no material impact on statistical analysis or year-on-year comparisons, even at the institutional level.

The other newly excluded subset comprises students returned as ‘writing-up’. These are largely graduate students whose programmes of study have been completed, but whose theses or dissertations are still in preparation.

The exclusion of these students brings the SRP more closely into line with funding and fee arrangements, and in general produces a better measure of activity levels in institutions. However, the number of writing-up students is substantial, nearly 50,000 in 2007/08, and the validity of some year-on-year comparisons depends on making an appropriate adjustment to allow for the change in definition. Regardless of their previous mode of study, sabbaticals and writing-up students were included with part-time students when totals were disaggregated by mode of study for years prior to 2007/08. So year-on-year comparisons involving only full-time students are valid without adjustment, but where part-time numbers, or totals across both modes, are compared, adjustment is necessary. This also applies to percentages where sabbatical and writing-up numbers would previously have been included in the numerator or denominator or both.

Appendix A provides a fuller analysis of the impact of the change, with tables to show its effect disaggregated by level of study and by administration.

Students in UK higher education institutions, 2007/08

This commentary draws attention to some of the headline figures and key points that emerge from the main tables and those in the Introduction. The information is displayed graphically where appropriate. Where figures for previous years are quoted for comparison, they are taken from the 2006/07 and 2005/06 editions of this volume, except for ‘starred’ figures which have been adjusted by applying the new SRP definition to data for those years. Unstarred figures are not affected by the change in the SRP definition.

Summary of key points

2,306,105 students were recorded as following an HE programme leading to a qualification or credit at a UK higher education institution (all 165 publicly-funded HEIs together with The University of Buckingham) in 2007/08 (2,304,700* in 2006/07; 2,281,235* in 2005/06). This total includes both full-time and part-time students. It includes students at further education colleges who were funded indirectly through an HEI; they have been counted within the numbers for that HEI. It excludes students studying on a directly funded HE programme at a FEC, and excludes students studying at HE level in institutions that are not publicly-funded, apart from The University of Buckingham. In what follows, the terms ‘total’ or ‘entire’ HE population do not imply inclusion of these groups.

Of the 2007/08 total, 64.2% (63.0%*; 62.8%*) were following a full-time or sandwich programme and the remaining 35.8% were following a part-time programme. Except where they are separated out explicitly in what follows, the full-time category includes sandwich students.

Of the 2007/08 total, 78.0% (78.2%*; 78.4%*) were studying for an undergraduate qualification (either at or below first degree level), and the balance for a qualification at postgraduate level.

Full-time first degree students made up 48.1% (47.1%*; 47.1%*) of the HE student population.

61,305 (50,165*; 40,455*) students were reported through HEIs as studying for a foundation degree. 2

There were exceptionally high proportions of part-time students in ‘Combined’ and ‘Education’.

Women made up 57.1% (57.5%*; 57.6%*) of the entire HE student population and 58.9% (59.2%*; 59.3%*) of UK domiciled3 undergraduates.

Subject areas with a high proportion of women included subjects allied to medicine (81.3%), veterinary science (76.0%), education (75.9%) and languages (67.2%). Subject areas with a high proportion of men included engineering & technology (85.6%), computer science (80.3%) and architecture, building & planning (69.3%).

There were 341,790 (325,985*; 307,040*) students from countries other than the UK, of which 278,410 were full-time and 63,380 were part-time. Such students represented 14.8% (14.1%*; 13.5%*) of the entire HE student population, and the full-time non-UK students represented 18.8% of the full-time HE student population. Students from outside the EU numbered 229,640 (220,575*; 207,055*), which represented 10.0% of the entire HE student population.

In 2007 two further countries, Romania and Bulgaria, joined the European Union. The student number from these 2007 accession countries, namely 2,430 (1,295*; 1,120*) is reported in the current volume as a component of the ‘Other European Union countries’ sub-total.

Students from outside the UK were well represented in engineering & technology, business & administrative studies, computer science, law and mathematical sciences.

Students from outside the UK made up 53.6% (51.5%; 49.8%) of all full-time postgraduates, with 41.7% coming from outside the EU.

Students on sandwich programmes made up 6.5% (6.5%*; 6.7%*) of all undergraduates. They formed the highest proportion of all undergraduate students in computer science, architecture, building & planning, business & administrative studies, agriculture & related subjects and engineering & technology.

20.7% (21.0%; 21.1%) of UK domiciled entrants on full-time first degree courses were aged 21 and over.

Ethnic minorities constituted 17.0% (16.4%; 16.0%) of all first-year UK domiciled HE students of known ethnicity.

14,975 (11,633; 9,275) foundation degrees were awarded.

Of students who obtained a classified first degree, 61.4% (60.2%; 59.5%) were awarded First or Upper Second Class Honours, and 13.3% (12.6%; 12.0%) were awarded First Class Honours.

95.1% of full-time first degree students domiciled in England studied in their country of domicile; the corresponding figure for Wales was 65.5%, for Scotland 94.1%, and for Northern Ireland 69.1%.

In addition to students studying at UK HEIs, there were 196,640 HE-level students studying entirely outside the UK, but either registered with a UK HEI or registered with a partner organisation and working towards a qualification awarded by a UK HEI. Of these ‘offshore students‘, 76.4% were studying outside the EU, with over 20,000 in each of Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region of China), Singapore and Malaysia. Slightly more than half of all offshore students were studying by distance learning.

Student population

In 2007/08 there were 2.40 million students studying for a qualification or for credit at 166 higher education institutions (all 165 publicly-funded HEIs together with The University of Buckingham) in the United Kingdom. Of these, 0.09 million (3.9%) were studying at further education level.4 Information about numbers of FE students studying in HEIs is included as the penultimate line of Table A (below) and in two of the main tables of this volume, but they are otherwise excluded from the figures presented here, and all percentages from this point onwards are relative to the HE total or subtotals of it.

 

Table A - All students by level and mode of study 2007/08
  Full-time & sandwich % of FT HE students Part-time % of PT HE students Total % of HE students Writing-up and sabbatical students % of writing-up and sabbatical HE students
Higher degree (research) 66130 4.5% 27035 3.3% 93160 4.0% 27950 56.1%
Doctorate degree mainly by research 56800 3.8% 21350 2.6% 78150 3.4% 25375 50.9%
Masters degree mainly by research 9330 0.6% 5685 0.7% 15015 0.7% 2575 5.2%
Higher degree (taught) 143570 9.7% 133770 16.2% 277340 12.0% 17880 35.9%
Doctorate degree not mainly by research 1355 0.1% 1405 0.2% 2755 0.1% 145 0.3%
Masters degree not mainly by research 142170 9.6% 132080 16.0% 274245 11.9% 17735 35.6%
Postgraduate bachelors degree not mainly by research 50 0.0% 285 0.0% 335 0.0% 0 0.0%
Other postgraduate 38685 2.6% 91950 11.1% 130635 5.7% 2235 4.5%
Postgraduate Certificate in Education 24170 1.6% 5640 0.7% 29810 1.3% 170 0.3%
All other postgraduate 14515 1.0% 86310 10.5% 100825 4.4% 2065 4.1%
Total postgraduate 248380 16.8% 252755 30.6% 501135 21.7% 48065 96.5%
First degree 1108685 74.9% 198155 24.0% 1306840 56.7% 945 1.9%
Other undergraduate 123320 8.3% 374810 45.4% 498130 21.6% 815 1.6%
Professional Graduate Certificate in Education 4125 0.3% 2795 0.3% 6920 0.3% 5 0.0%
Foundation degree 32485 2.2% 28820 3.5% 61305 2.7% 55 0.1%
HND 13810 0.9% 3045 0.4% 16855 0.7% 10 0.0%
DipHE 53100 3.6% 9660 1.2% 62755 2.7% 255 0.5%
HNC 1630 0.1% 13180 1.6% 14810 0.6% 20 0.0%
All other undergraduate 18170 1.2% 317315 38.4% 335480 14.5% 470 0.9%
Total undergraduate 1232005 83.2% 572965 69.4% 1804970 78.3% 1760 3.5%
Total HE students 1480385 100.0% 825720 100.0% 2306105 100.0% 49825 100.0%
Total FE students(#17) 14980   78710   93690   5  
Total 1495365   904430   2399795   49830  
In this table 0, 1, 2 are rounded to 0. All other numbers are rounded up or down to the nearest multiple of 5. Percentages are not subject to rounding.
# see relevant footnote in Notes to tables.

Of the 2,306,105 HE students recorded, 1,480,385 (64.2%) were following a full-time or sandwich programme and the balance were following a part-time programme.

Of the 501,135 (21.7% of the HE total) postgraduate students, 93,160 (18.6% of postgraduates) were studying for a research degree and 277,340 (55.3% of postgraduates) for a taught higher degree.

Of the 1,804,970 (78.3% of the HE total) undergraduates, 1,306,840 (72.4% of undergraduates) were studying for a first degree. Of the remaining undergraduate students, 61,305 were studying for a foundation degree.

All HE students by level and mode 2007/08

There were 29,810 students studying for a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (or Professional Graduate Diploma in Education), which is a fully postgraduate qualification reported within the ‘Other postgraduate’ category, and 6,920 students studying for a Professional Graduate Certificate in Education, which is postgraduate in time but undergraduate in level, and is reported within the ‘Other undergraduate’ category. Prior to 2007/08, what are now these two separate qualifications were included within ‘Postgraduate Certificate in Education’ (abbreviated as ‘PGCE’) and reported within the ‘Other postgraduate’ category.

Domicile and gender

Table B provides a summary of students by domicile and gender.

 

Table B - All HE students by gender, mode and domicile 2007/08
  United Kingdom Other European Union countries ..of which 2007 accession countries(#3) Other EEA countries Other Europe Africa Asia Australasia Middle East North America South America Non-European-Union unknown Non-United Kingdom sub-total Total
Full-time(#2) 1201970 86715 1990 2675 7200 25350 120135 1520 13210 17130 3090 1385 278410 1480385
Female 677900 45865 1195 1565 3805 10165 54625 790 4005 10005 1540 665 133030 810930
Male 524045 40850 800 1115 3400 15180 65510 730 9205 7120 1550 720 145375 669420
Part-time(#2) 762340 25435 440 400 1790 6945 17345 770 3480 5685 1070 460 63380 825720
Female 476690 13335 270 215 910 2960 7215 450 1005 3195 640 200 30120 506805
Male 285550 12100 170 185 880 3990 10130 320 2475 2485 425 260 33250 318800
All students(#2) 1964315 112150 2430 3075 8995 32295 137485 2285 16690 22810 4160 1845 341790 2306105
Female 1154590 59200 1465 1775 4715 13125 61840 1240 5010 13200 2180 865 163145 1317735
Male 809595 52950 965 1300 4280 19170 75640 1045 11685 9605 1975 980 178625 988220
% by domicile 85.2% 4.9% 0.1% 0.1% 0.4% 1.4% 6.0% 0.1% 0.7% 1.0% 0.2% 0.1% 14.8%  
In this table 0, 1, 2 are rounded to 0. All other numbers are rounded up or down to the nearest multiple of 5. Percentages are not subject to rounding.
# see relevant footnote in Notes to tables.

UK figures include 4,735 (3,695 full-time and 1,035 part-time, see Tables 5a and 5b respectively) students from Guernsey, Jersey5 and the Isle of Man (‘Islands Students’). The number of full-time islands students is similar to that reported for recent years. The number of part-time islands students is about half of that reported for recent years, but an approximately balancing number of distance-learning students were reported for 2007/08 through the newly-introduced Overseas Aggregate Return.

There were 341,790 students (278,410 full-time and 63,380 part-time) from countries other than the UK. Such students represented 14.8% of the entire HE student population, and the full-time non-UK students represented 18.8% of the full-time HE student population. Students from outside the EU numbered 229,640, which represented 10.0% of the entire HE student population. Of these students, 137,485 (just under three-fifths) were from Asia.

The number of students from the EU 2007 accession countries (Bulgaria and Romania) was 2,430. From 2007/08 these students fall within the ‘Other European Union countries’ category, but are separately identified within the sub-total for that category in the current volume, and will be again in the 2008/09 volume, but not thereafter. In each of the volumes for 2005/06 and 2006/07, the corresponding number was reported but was not a component of that sub-total.

Women made up 57.1% of the entire HE student population, being in the majority among both full-time (54.8%) and part-time (61.4%) students. The pattern was different as between UK students, of whom 58.8% were women, and students from outside the UK, where the proportion of women was 47.7%.

Table C provides a more detailed breakdown of the postgraduate population.

 

Table C - Postgraduates by gender, mode and domicile 2007/08
  United Kingdom Other European Union countries ..of which 2007 accession countries(#3) Other EEA countries Other Europe Africa Asia Australasia Middle East North America South America Non-European-Union unknown Non-United Kingdom sub-total Total
Higher degree (research)(#2) 53300 12635 295 200 1115 3650 12570 555 3605 4415 815 295 39860 93160
Full-time
Female 15445 4500 155 60 465 915 4755 245 950 1740 265 90 13980 29425
Male 17540 5235 90 70 440 2245 6455 245 2030 1825 440 170 19165 36705
Part-time
Female 10375 1335 30 30 90 175 615 30 225 335 50 10 2900 13280
Male 9940 1560 25 35 120 315 745 35 400 515 65 25 3815 13755
% by domicile 57.2% 13.6% 0.3% 0.2% 1.2% 3.9% 13.5% 0.6% 3.9% 4.7% 0.9% 0.3% 42.8%  
Higher degree (taught)(#2) 161535 25095 565 690 3240 12905 57425 755 4825 8150 1765 955 115800 277340
Full-time
Female 25670 9245 300 295 1365 3800 22655 225 1250 3865 675 395 43765 69435
Male 22810 8485 155 245 1100 6320 28880 230 2455 2610 670 325 51320 74130
Part-time
Female 63790 3845 60 75 360 1030 1865 155 340 800 250 80 8800 72590
Male 49240 3520 55 75 415 1755 4020 140 780 880 170 155 11910 61150
% by domicile 58.2% 9.0% 0.2% 0.2% 1.2% 4.7% 20.7% 0.3% 1.7% 2.9% 0.6% 0.3% 41.8%  
Other postgraduate(#2) 118815 4560 60 70 325 1295 3520 220 390 1035 285 120 11820 130635
Full-time
Female 22825 1245 20 15 60 175 775 45 35 270 70 20 2715 25540
Male 11040 645 5 10 45 295 835 20 50 125 35 50 2105 13145
Part-time
Female 55900 1475 20 25 105 335 795 85 120 330 100 20 3390 59290
Male 29035 1195 15 25 120 490 1115 70 185 305 75 30 3610 32645
% by domicile 91.0% 3.5% 0.0% 0.1% 0.2% 1.0% 2.7% 0.2% 0.3% 0.8% 0.2% 0.1% 9.0%  
All postgraduate(#2) 333655 42285 925 960 4685 17855 73520 1525 8815 13600 2865 1370 167480 501135
Full-time
Female 63940 14990 470 370 1885 4895 28185 510 2235 5875 1010 505 60460 124400
Male 51395 14365 250 325 1585 8860 36175 495 4535 4560 1145 545 72585 123980
Part-time
Female 130065 6655 105 130 550 1545 3280 275 680 1465 405 110 15095 145160
Male 88215 6275 95 135 655 2560 5880 245 1365 1700 310 210 19335 107550
% by domicile 66.6% 8.4% 0.2% 0.2% 0.9% 3.6% 14.7% 0.3% 1.8% 2.7% 0.6% 0.3% 33.4%  
In this table 0, 1, 2 are rounded to 0. All other numbers are rounded up or down to the nearest multiple of 5. Percentages are not subject to rounding.
# see relevant footnote in Notes to tables.

Students from outside the UK made up 33.4% of all postgraduates, and 53.6% of all full-time postgraduates, with 41.7% of full-time postgraduates coming from outside the EU (77.9% of the non-UK total). Non-UK students were prominent on full-time research degree programmes (50.1%) and even more so on full-time taught higher degree programmes (66.2%).

Women made up 53.8% of the entire postgraduate population, and 58.1% of UK domiciled postgraduates. There were considerable variations apparent in a breakdown by both type of programme and domicile, as shown by Chart 2.

Gender of postgraduates by domicile 2007/08

A major component of ‘Other postgraduate’ numbers arose from Postgraduate Certificate in Education programmes, where women are predominant and the large majority of students are UK domiciled, and this has contributed to the high proportion (64.9%) of women among students on ‘Other postgraduate’ programmes. For taught higher degree programmes the gender balance was close to even with 51.2% women, and for research degree programmes the proportion of women was less than half at 45.8%. Breaking down the research degree programme figures by domicile shows that among students from EU countries including the UK, the proportion of women was 48.0%, whereas it was 40.6% for those from outside the EU.

Table D provides the same breakdown by domicile as Table C, but for undergraduates.

 

Table D - Undergraduates by gender, mode and domicile 2007/08
  United Kingdom Other European Union countries ..of which 2007 accession countries(#3) Other EEA countries Other Europe Africa Asia Australasia Middle East North America South America Non-European-Union unknown Non-United Kingdom sub-total Total
First degree(#2) 1163270 56820 1275 1940 3560 11485 55275 455 6615 6220 945 255 143570 1306840
Full-time
Female 537745 28845 700 1145 1765 4585 24390 220 1635 3505 480 85 66660 604405
Male 436955 25055 530 755 1675 5610 27160 195 4105 2250 370 125 67305 504260
Part-time
Female 114085 1585 30 30 70 585 1320 30 125 335 60 30 4165 118250
Male 74460 1335 15 10 55 705 2400 10 745 130 35 15 5445 79905
% by domicile 89.0% 4.3% 0.1% 0.1% 0.3% 0.9% 4.2% 0.0% 0.5% 0.5% 0.1% 0.0% 11.0%  
Other undergraduate(#2) 467390 13045 230 175 750 2955 8690 305 1265 2995 350 220 30735 498130
Full-time
Female 76215 2030 25 45 155 685 2050 55 130 625 50 75 5910 82125
Male 35695 1430 20 35 135 710 2175 35 565 310 35 50 5485 41185
Part-time
Female 232540 5095 130 55 290 830 2615 150 200 1395 180 60 10860 243400
Male 122875 4490 60 40 170 730 1850 60 370 655 80 35 8475 131350
% by domicile 93.8% 2.6% 0.0% 0.0% 0.2% 0.6% 1.7% 0.1% 0.3% 0.6% 0.1% 0.0% 6.2%  
All undergraduate(#2) 1630660 69865 1505 2115 4310 14440 63965 760 7875 9210 1290 475 174310 1804970
Full-time
Female 613960 30875 725 1195 1915 5275 26440 280 1765 4130 530 160 72565 686530
Male 472650 26485 545 790 1810 6320 29340 230 4670 2560 405 175 72790 545445
Part-time
Female 346625 6680 160 80 360 1415 3935 175 325 1730 240 90 15025 361645
Male 197335 5825 75 50 225 1430 4250 75 1115 785 115 50 13920 211250
% by domicile 90.3% 3.9% 0.1% 0.1% 0.2% 0.8% 3.5% 0.0% 0.4% 0.5% 0.1% 0.0% 9.7%  
In this table 0, 1, 2 are rounded to 0. All other numbers are rounded up or down to the nearest multiple of 5. Percentages are not subject to rounding.
# see relevant footnote in Notes to tables.

The pattern at undergraduate level was very different from that for postgraduates. Only 9.7% of undergraduates were from outside the UK, comprising 3.9% from other EU countries and 5.8% from non-EU countries. However, undergraduates made up a larger proportion of students from other EU countries, at 62.3%, than for non-EU countries, where the figure was 45.5%

Of UK domiciled undergraduates, 58.9% were women. The figure for other EU countries was 53.8%, and for non-EU countries it was slightly lower at 47.9%.

The proportion of women on ‘Other undergraduate’ programmes, that is, aiming for qualifications below degree level, was 65.3%; this figure did not vary much between full-time programmes (66.6%) and part-time programmes (64.9%); student numbers on part-time programmes constituted 75.2% of all those on programmes below first degree level. Subject of study is an important factor in explaining the high proportion of women on programmes below first degree level, as illustrated in the following section.

Subject of study

Table E shows the percentages of students at different levels who were following programmes in each of 19 subject areas, supplemented with the figures for four further areas cutting across or lying within the main areas. A detailed explanation of the main and supplementary subject areas, and the way in which student numbers are apportioned between them, may be found in a separate article in this volume.

 

Table E - All students by subject area(#1), level and mode 2007/08
                                      Percentages
  Higher degree (research)   Higher degree (taught)   Other postgraduate   First degree   Other undergraduate
  Total Full-time Part-time   Total Full-time Part-time   Total Full-time Part-time   Total Full-time Part-time   Total Full-time Part-time
Medicine & dentistry 8.4 7.5 10.7   2.3 1.6 3.1   2.7 0.9 3.4   3.3 3.9 0.1   0.1 0.3 0.0
Subjects allied to medicine 6.0 5.1 8.3   8.5 4.1 13.2   13.6 6.5 16.5   8.7 7.8 13.8   ## 46.5 18.4
Biological sciences 11.8 13.2 8.2   5.0 5.3 4.7   1.3 0.8 1.5   9.6 9.7 8.7   2.0 3.1 1.6
Veterinary science 0.4 0.4 0.2   0.0 0.0 0.0   0.2 0.4 0.1   0.3 0.4 0.0   0.0 0.0 0.0
Agriculture & related subjects 0.8 0.9 0.5   0.6 0.7 0.5   0.2 0.1 0.2   0.6 0.6 0.2   1.5 2.4 1.2
Physical sciences 11.1 14.2 3.5   2.3 3.1 1.4   0.9 0.4 1.2   4.4 4.6 3.3   1.3 1.0 1.4
Mathematical sciences 2.4 3.1 0.8   0.9 1.0 0.8   0.2 0.2 0.3   2.0 2.0 1.9   0.6 0.4 0.7
Computer science 4.7 5.0 3.9   5.1 7.0 3.2   1.0 0.3 1.3   4.6 4.6 4.7   3.1 3.9 2.8
Engineering & technology 12.6 14.9 6.9   7.6 9.4 5.6   2.2 1.2 2.6   6.5 6.7 5.6   3.7 5.1 3.2
Architecture, building & planning 1.6 1.5 1.8   3.8 2.8 4.8   2.4 2.4 2.4   2.8 2.5 4.4   2.3 3.0 2.1
Social studies 9.2 9.5 8.4   9.5 11.9 6.9   3.7 2.6 4.2   9.5 9.5 9.9   6.9 4.5 7.7
Law 1.9 2.0 1.7   4.3 4.8 3.8   6.1 12.8 3.3   4.8 4.8 4.6   1.1 0.9 1.1
Business & administrative studies 5.5 4.5 7.9   28.0 30.4 25.5   12.0 2.2 16.1   12.5 13.1 8.8   9.8 9.2 10.1
Mass communications & documentation 0.9 0.8 1.1   2.7 3.3 2.1   0.7 1.3 0.4   2.7 3.1 0.8   0.6 1.2 0.4
Languages 5.9 6.0 5.6   3.2 3.9 2.5   0.4 0.9 0.3   6.5 6.8 4.8   7.2 1.9 8.9
Historical & philosophical studies 7.3 6.4 9.4   3.1 2.8 3.5   0.4 0.2 0.5   5.0 4.7 6.5   3.1 0.4 4.1
Creative arts & design 3.4 2.7 5.2   4.6 5.6 3.5   1.0 2.3 0.5   9.5 10.8 2.6   3.4 8.1 1.8
Education 6.3 2.3 15.8   8.1 2.3 14.3   49.6 64.5 43.4   4.0 3.9 4.9   11.4 7.2 12.7
Combined 0.0 0.0 0.1   0.3 0.1 0.5   1.2 0.0 1.7   2.6 0.4 14.4   16.6 1.0 21.7
Supplementary subject information(1)
Psychology 4.0 3.9 4.0   3.2 3.0 3.4   0.9 0.6 1.0   4.3 4.0 6.0   0.6 0.6 0.6
Geography 1.7 1.9 1.2   0.8 1.0 0.6   0.2 0.1 0.2   1.7 1.7 1.2   0.2 0.1 0.3
Economics & politics 3.8 4.4 2.5   3.8 6.0 1.4   0.4 0.7 0.3   3.5 3.9 1.5   0.3 0.3 0.4
English 2.3 2.3 2.4   1.2 1.3 1.2   0.2 0.6 0.1   3.4 3.5 3.1   2.2 1.7 2.4
Percentages are not subject to rounding.
(1) Numbers reported under 'Supplementary subject information' are within and not additional to the overall total, but are disaggregated from it on a different pattern from the 19 subject areas.
# see relevant footnote in Notes to tables.

Most of the figures in this table speak for themselves, but there are two figures at the ‘Other undergraduate’ level that need comment, those for ‘Subjects allied to medicine’ and ‘Combined’. The high proportion in ‘Subjects allied to medicine’ was because it is still the case that a qualification below first degree level is the norm in many health-related professions, at least as an initial qualification aim. By far the largest component is that attributable to nursing, which attracts a large majority of women students. Many Open University students, who do not, at least initially, have to declare an award intention, are reported as studying for institutional credit in the ‘Combined’ subject area.

Table F shows that the proportion of part-time students varied greatly by subject area. At 94.7% almost all students in the ‘Combined’ subject area were part-time; again, this is attributable to the way OU students are reported. The other area with a very high proportion was ‘Education’, at 59.7%.

 

Table F - Percentage distribution by subject area(#1), mode, gender and non-United Kingdom domicile 2007/08
        Percentages
  % part-time % female % non-UK % non-EU
Medicine & dentistry 16.7 57.9 14.5 10.5
Subjects allied to medicine 45.8 81.3 6.9 4.3
Biological sciences 20.6 63.8 9.5 5.0
Veterinary science 5.7 76.0 13.4 9.8
Agriculture & related subjects 33.9 58.9 13.0 7.7
Physical sciences 18.9 41.6 12.6 7.6
Mathematical sciences 22.7 38.5 18.0 12.7
Computer science 27.7 19.7 20.4 15.0
Engineering & technology 25.2 16.4 30.5 22.2
Architecture, building & planning 40.8 30.7 14.6 9.2
Social studies 32.1 62.7 14.7 9.5
Law 24.6 59.1 18.5 12.9
Business & administrative studies 34.2 48.6 29.2 21.9
Mass communications & documentation 13.6 57.2 14.8 8.6
Languages 35.4 67.2 15.3 8.7
Historical & philosophical studies 37.0 54.3 8.4 5.0
Creative arts & design 11.6 60.8 11.7 6.5
Education 59.7 75.9 5.6 3.4
Combined 94.7 61.8 3.9 2.3
Total - All subject areas 35.8 57.1 14.8 10.0
Supplementary subject information(1)
Psychology 28.7 79.8 7.9 3.5
Geography 17.6 49.1 8.4 5.5
Economics & politics 11.4 39.6 31.1 20.6
English 28.4 69.5 14.6 10.1
Percentages are not subject to rounding.
(1) Numbers reported under 'Supplementary subject information' are within and not additional to the overall total, but are disaggregated from it on a different pattern from the 19 subject areas.
# see relevant footnote in Notes to tables.

Similarly, the proportion of women students was heavily subject-dependent, with wide divergence from the overall figure of 57.1%. Subject areas with a high proportion of women included subjects allied to medicine (81.3%), veterinary science (76.0%), education (75.9%) and languages (67.2%). Subject areas with a low proportion of women included architecture, building & planning (30.7%), computer science (19.7%), and engineering & technology (16.4%).

Students from outside the UK were well represented in engineering & technology, business & administrative studies, computer science, law and mathematical sciences.

Expected length of study

Table G shows the expected length of the programme of study reported for full-time first degree students who commenced studying in 2007/08.

 

Table G - First year, full-time, first degree students by subject area(#1) and expected length of programme(#4) 2007/08
  Expected length of programme
  ≤ 3 years > 3 years ≤ 4 years > 4 years ≤ 5 years > 5 years
Medicine & dentistry 425 4.4% 1105 11.4% 7230 74.6% 930 9.6%
Subjects allied to medicine 21495 74.4% 7070 24.5% 265 0.9% 70 0.2%
Biological sciences 30665 77.8% 8320 21.1% 395 1.0% 55 0.1%
Veterinary science 105 11.0% 70 7.5% 720 74.9% 65 6.6%
Agriculture & related subjects 1690 66.0% 840 32.7% 0 0.0% 30 1.2%
Physical sciences 8970 51.5% 7755 44.5% 600 3.5% 85 0.5%
Mathematical sciences 4730 60.1% 3040 38.6% 100 1.3% 0 0.0%
Computer science 10360 55.1% 7865 41.8% 535 2.9% 40 0.2%
Engineering & technology 11360 43.1% 12630 47.9% 2330 8.8% 40 0.1%
Architecture, building & planning 5705 57.5% 3500 35.3% 440 4.4% 265 2.7%
Social studies 32755 86.2% 5005 13.2% 25 0.1% 205 0.5%
Law 15725 81.3% 3555 18.4% 65 0.3% 0 0.0%
Business & administrative studies 36435 64.3% 19725 34.8% 275 0.5% 190 0.3%
Mass communications & documentation 11605 89.7% 1280 9.9% 25 0.2% 35 0.3%
Languages 15805 62.7% 9125 36.2% 170 0.7% 115 0.5%
Historical & philosophical studies 15265 88.0% 2035 11.7% 5 0.0% 50 0.3%
Creative arts & design 38300 84.6% 6705 14.8% 200 0.4% 40 0.1%
Education 11310 74.0% 3735 24.5% 235 1.5% 0 0.0%
Combined 1295 56.0% 1020 44.0% 0 0.0% 0 0.0%
Total - All subject areas 273995 69.5% 104380 26.5% 13625 3.5% 2220 0.6%
Supplementary subject information(1)
Psychology 13115 84.3% 2330 15.0% 115 0.7% 0 0.0%
Geography 5325 82.2% 1130 17.5% 0 0.0% 20 0.3%
Economics & politics 12495 83.6% 2430 16.3% 15 0.1% 0 0.0%
English 12355 88.8% 1425 10.2% 15 0.1% 115 0.8%
In this table 0, 1, 2 are rounded to 0. All other numbers are rounded up or down to the nearest multiple of 5. Percentages are not subject to rounding.
(1) Numbers reported under 'Supplementary subject information' are within and not additional to the overall total, but are disaggregated from it on a different pattern from the 19 subject areas.
# see relevant footnote in Notes to tables.

Overall 69.5% of these students were on programmes of up to three years’ duration. There were considerable variations between subjects, with programmes longer than four years being associated mainly with professional training in veterinary science and medicine & dentistry, and to a much smaller extent in engineering & technology, and architecture, building & planning. Four year programmes are common across a wide range of subjects, and 26.5% of students were on such programmes; some but by no means all of these were sandwich programmes, and these are discussed in more detail in the next section. Long programmes may have been slightly under-reported in Table G because of the possibility that, say, what is really a five year programme of study could have been reported as a three year basic programme followed by a two year professional programme.

Sandwich students

In most breakdowns by mode of study, sandwich students are included with full-time students. Students on sandwich programmes comprised 6.5% of all undergraduates. Table H shows by subject area the numbers broken down by first degree and other undergraduate levels, and the overall proportion within the area.

 

Table H - Undergraduate sandwich students by subject area(#1) 2007/08
  First degree Other undergraduate Sandwich students as a percentage of all undergraduates
Medicine & dentistry 15 0 0.0%
Subjects allied to medicine 5485 1200 2.8%
Biological sciences 7055 0 5.2%
Veterinary science 0 0 0.0%
Agriculture & related subjects 1850 600 16.3%
Physical sciences 4035 10 6.3%
Mathematical sciences 1500 0 5.2%
Computer science 16210 35 21.5%
Engineering & technology 15645 535 15.6%
Architecture, building & planning 9325 480 20.4%
Social studies 3445 0 2.2%
Law 1845 0 2.7%
Business & administrative studies 36685 1185 17.9%
Mass communications & documentation 1215 0 3.1%
Languages 2755 0 2.3%
Historical & philosophical studies 290 0 0.4%
Creative arts & design 5930 0 4.2%
Education 55 20 0.1%
Combined 685 0 0.6%
Total - All subject areas 114025 4065 6.5%
Supplementary subject information(1)
Psychology 2035 0 3.5%
Geography 685 0 3.0%
Economics & politics 2295 0 4.8%
English 305 0 0.5%
In this table 0, 1, 2 are rounded to 0. All other numbers are rounded up or down to the nearest multiple of 5. Percentages are not subject to rounding.
(1) Numbers reported under 'Supplementary subject information' are within and not additional to the overall total, but are disaggregated from it on a different pattern from the 19 subject areas.
# see relevant footnote in Notes to tables.

There was some sandwich programme provision in all subject areas except veterinary science, but with very small numbers in medicine & dentistry and in education. These are subjects where the extensive practical training is not structured on the sandwich pattern. Sandwich students formed the highest proportion of all undergraduate students in computer science, architecture, building & planning, business & administrative studies, agriculture & related subjects and engineering & technology.

Age of students

Table Ii shows the proportion of first-year UK domiciled undergraduates in each age group.

 

Table Ii - Age distribution(#7) of first year United Kingdom domiciled undergraduates by mode of study 2007/08
              Percentages
  First degree   Other undergraduate
  Total Full-time Part-time   Total Full-time Part-time
18 & under 42.2 49.4 2.2   7.5 20.5 4.6
19 years 19.6 22.7 2.4   4.0 13.7 1.9
20 years 6.6 7.2 2.9   2.9 7.1 2.0
21 - 24 11.3 10.4 15.9   12.6 21.4 10.6
25 - 29 6.3 4.1 18.4   14.4 12.4 14.8
30 & over 14.1 6.1 58.3   58.6 24.9 66.1
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0   100.0 100.0 100.0
Percentages are not subject to rounding.
# see relevant footnote in Notes to tables.

20.7% of UK domiciled entrants on full-time first degree courses, and 58.7% on full-time other undergraduate courses, were aged 21 and over. 58.3% of part-time first degree entrants were aged 30 or over.

Table Iii provides equivalent information for postgraduates.

Table Iii - Age distribution(#7) of first year United Kingdom domiciled postgraduates by mode of study 2007/08
      Percentages
  Total Full-time Part-time
20 & under 0.4 0.6 0.3
21 - 24 30.8 55.8 12.2
25 - 29 21.0 21.1 21.0
30 & over 47.8 22.5 66.5
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0
Percentages are not subject to rounding.
# see relevant footnote in Notes to tables.

Ethnicity

Ethnicity is recorded using the categories available for the 2001 Census. Details can be found in the definitions section. These categories are then amalgamated following Office for National Statistics guidelines into the smaller number of categories shown in Chart 3 and in main tables. The scheme is designed to describe patterns of ethnicity within the UK domiciled population, and information on ethnicity is required by HESA only for students of UK domicile.

Ethnicity is known for 94.0% of UK domiciled first-year undergraduates and 93.0% of UK domiciled first-year postgraduates (from Table 10b). Taking first-year and continuing students together, it is known for 95.6% of undergraduates and 92.3% of postgraduates (from Table 10a). Participation in HE by students from ethnic minorities continues to increase overall, and accordingly the most up to date picture is obtained from consideration of the position for new entrants. 17.0% of first-year students of known ethnicity are from ethnic minorities, and for full-time first degree students the figure is 20.4% (from Table 10b).

Table J - Ethnic minority students as a percentage of United Kingdom domiciled first year students of known ethnicity 2007/08
  Percentages
Higher degree (research) 14.9
Full-time 15.0
Part-time 14.6
Higher degree (taught) 20.4
Full-time 25.6
Part-time 16.2
Other postgraduate 12.9
Full-time 12.8
Part-time 13.0
First degree 19.6
Full-time 20.4
Part-time 14.6
Other undergraduate 13.9
Full-time 20.1
Part-time 12.4
Percentages are not subject to rounding.

There are substantial differences in gender participation across ethnic categories, and this is also dependent on mode of study. Chart 3 displays these effects jointly.

Female UK domiciled undergraduate students of known ethnic group by mode 2007/08

Qualifications obtained

In 2007/08 a total of 676,460 qualifications were awarded at HE level to students in publicly-funded HEIs (together with The University of Buckingham) or on indirectly funded HE programmes in FECs. Of these 29.9% were at postgraduate level, 49.5% were undergraduate first degree qualifications, and 20.6% were other undergraduate qualifications. 14,975 foundation degrees were awarded, 2.2% of the total. Table K provides a more detailed breakdown.

 

Table K - Qualifications obtained by level of qualification, mode and domicile 2007/08
  All qualifications Higher degree (research) Higher degree (taught) Other postgraduate First degree Other undergraduate ..of which, foundation degree
Full-time 489005 15320 84215 32705 297235 59530 9570
United Kingdom domiciled 371415 7975 26860 26790 256830 52960 8945
Non-United Kingdom domiciled 117590 7345 57355 5915 40405 6570 625
Part-time 187455 4010 32025 33735 37655 80035 5405
United Kingdom domiciled 170860 3005 25190 30975 34685 77005 5290
Non-United Kingdom domiciled 16595 1005 6835 2760 2965 3030 115
All students 676460 19330 116240 66440 334890 139560 14975
Percentage of all qualifications 100.0% 2.9% 17.2% 9.8% 49.5% 20.6% 2.2%
United Kingdom domiciled 542275 10980 52050 57770 291520 129965 14235
Non-United Kingdom domiciled 134185 8350 64190 8670 43370 9600 740
In this table 0, 1, 2 are rounded to 0. All other numbers are rounded up or down to the nearest multiple of 5. Percentages are not subject to rounding.

Table L provides a breakdown of the class of award for first degree qualifications.

 

Table L - First degree classifications by mode, domicile and gender 2007/08
  Total first degree First class Upper second class Lower second class Third class/Pass Unclassified
Total full-time(#2) 297235 37435 136860 84805 18980 19075
Percentage of classified degrees - 13.5% 49.2% 30.5% 6.8% -
United Kingdom domiciled(#2) 256830 32435 122100 71715 14505 16030
Female 147685 17945 73840 39490 6830 9565
Male 109100 14485 48250 32210 7660 6465
Non-United Kingdom domiciled(#2) 40405 5000 14760 13090 4475 3045
Female 20200 2505 8155 6415 1820 1285
Male 20165 2495 6600 6650 2650 1760
Total part-time(#2) 37655 3715 11405 10340 5010 7180
Percentage of classified degrees - 12.2% 37.4% 33.9% 16.4% -
United Kingdom domiciled(#2) 34685 3580 10660 9185 4375 6885
Female 21740 2210 6985 5735 2480 4335
Male 12930 1365 3675 3450 1890 2550
Non-United Kingdom domiciled(#2) 2965 135 745 1160 635 295
Female 1420 65 375 565 260 150
Male 1545 70 370 595 370 145
All students(#2) 334890 41150 148265 95145 23990 26260
Percentage of classified degrees - 13.3% 48.1% 30.8% 7.8% -
United Kingdom domiciled(#2) 291520 36015 132760 80895 18880 22920
Percentage of classified degrees - 13.4% 49.4% 30.1% 7.0% -
Female 169425 20155 80825 45220 9310 13900
Male 122030 15855 51925 35660 9545 9020
Non-United Kingdom domiciled(#2) 43370 5135 15505 14245 5110 3340
Percentage of classified degrees - 12.8% 38.8% 35.6% 12.8% -
Female 21620 2575 8530 6980 2080 1435
Male 21710 2560 6965 7245 3020 1905
All domiciles(#2) 334890 41150 148265 95145 23990 26260
Female 191045 22730 89355 52200 11390 15335
Percentage of classified degrees - 12.9% 50.9% 29.7% 6.5% -
Male 143740 18415 58890 42900 12570 10920
Percentage of classified degrees - 13.9% 44.4% 32.3% 9.5% -
In this table 0, 1, 2 are rounded to 0. All other numbers are rounded up or down to the nearest multiple of 5. Percentages are not subject to rounding.
# see relevant footnote in Notes to tables.

Of students who obtained a classified first degree, 13.3% were awarded First Class Honours and 61.4% were awarded either First or Upper Second Class Honours. Chart 4 shows the female/male, full-time/part-time, and UK/non-UK percentages drawn from Table L. The proportion of First Class Honours did not depend heavily on any of these factors, but the proportion of Upper Second Class Honours was substantially greater for female students than for male students, and similarly for UK students compared to non-UK students and for full-time students compared to part-time students.

Percentage obtaining each classification by gender, domicile and mode 2007/08

Table M shows that there is considerable variation by subject area in the proportions of different classes of degrees that are awarded. This table excludes the clinical subject areas medicine & dentistry and veterinary science, in which the proportion of degrees awarded without classification is substantial.

Table M - First degree graduates in non-clinical subjects(#1) awarded first or upper second class honours as a percentage of classified degrees 2007/08
      Percentages
  First class Upper second First or upper second
Subjects allied to medicine 15.1 45.4 60.5
Biological sciences 12.2 50.0 62.1
Agriculture & related subjects 12.9 43.7 56.6
Physical sciences 19.9 43.9 63.8
Mathematical sciences 29.1 35.7 64.8
Computer science 16.6 36.2 52.8
Engineering & technology 21.5 41.0 62.6
Architecture, building & planning 11.5 44.7 56.2
Social studies 10.7 51.9 62.5
Law 6.7 51.3 58.0
Business & administrative studies 9.4 43.1 52.4
Mass communications & documentation 9.5 52.3 61.8
Languages 14.7 59.3 74.0
Historical & philosophical studies 13.8 61.2 75.0
Creative arts & design 14.2 49.5 63.6
Education 9.6 46.3 55.9
Combined 10.9 42.5 53.4
Total - Non-clinical subjects 13.3 48.1 61.4
Supplementary subject information(1)
Psychology 11.6 56.8 68.4
Geography 10.8 55.9 66.7
Economics & politics 13.8 53.6 67.4
English 13.9 58.6 72.5
Percentages are not subject to rounding.
(1) Numbers reported under 'Supplementary subject information' are within and not additional to the overall total, but are disaggregated from it on a different pattern from the 19 subject areas.
# see relevant footnote in Notes to tables.

The female/male, full-time/part-time, and UK/non-UK proportions vary greatly across subject areas (see Table F), and because of this it is not meaningful to interpret small differences from population proportions of degree classes (for example, in the proportion of First Class Honours) without adjusting for subject choice.

Flows between administrations

The main tables provide figures showing student mobility within the UK for all UK domiciled students. However, the figures for postgraduate students should be interpreted with caution because the domicile will often reflect the location of undergraduate study rather than the original ‘domestic’ domicile. Part-time students display little mobility. It is accordingly of interest to focus on full-time undergraduates, and these figures are presented in Table N.

 

Table N - Full-time United Kingdom domiciled undergraduate students by domicile, region of institution and level of study 2007/08
  Region of institution
  Total United Kingdom London England (other regions) England total Wales Scotland Northern Ireland
First degree 974720 139480 651185 790665 56575 100040 27445
London 152940 86880 62660 149540 1485 1875 45
England (other regions) 643555 49210 559095 608305 23190 11840 220
England total 796495 136090 621755 757845 24670 13715 265
Wales 47495 1570 14415 15990 31105 390 10
Scotland 86810 705 4190 4900 145 81725 40
Northern Ireland 39200 540 7270 7810 275 4040 27075
Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man 3315 265 2760 3025 160 125 5
UK unknown 1405 310 790 1100 220 40 50
Other undergraduate 111920 21420 77010 98430 3580 9190 720
London 17460 14200 3180 17380 55 20 0
England (other regions) 80000 6775 72240 79015 745 240 0
England total 97460 20975 75420 96395 800 265 0
Wales 3560 105 730 835 2715 10 0
Scotland 9165 80 320 395 15 8755 0
Northern Ireland 1125 75 240 320 5 85 720
Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man 135 15 115 130 5 5 0
UK unknown 470 170 185 355 40 70 5
In this table 0, 1, 2 are rounded to 0. All other numbers are rounded up or down to the nearest multiple of 5.

757,845 out of 796,495 (95.1%) full-time first degree students domiciled in England studied in their country of domicile; the corresponding figures for Wales were 31,105 out of 47,495 (65.5%), for Scotland 81,725 out of 86,810 (94.1%), and for Northern Ireland 27,075 out of 39,200 (69.1%).

So English and Scottish students displayed little mobility in proportionate terms, but English numbers were large enough in absolute terms to mean that outwards mobility from England contributed almost half of Welsh numbers, and more than one-eighth of those in Scotland. Outwards mobility from Wales and Scotland was almost entirely to England, and two-thirds of outwards mobility from Northern Ireland was to England, with almost all the balance to Scotland.

Within England, again for full-time first degree students, the flow into London was 49,210 and the flow out of London was 62,660, not greatly different in absolute terms, which means that there was proportionately much more mobility out of London to other regions of England (41.0% of the London total) than in the reverse direction (7.6% of the total for other regions of England). The table in the main body of the volume provides a full breakdown of mobility between English regions.

There was less mobility between administrations at the level of full-time ‘Other undergraduate’ programmes than at the first degree level, except, in 2007/08 for the first time, in the case of Northern Ireland: the corresponding percentages for study in the country of domicile were 98.9% for England, 76.3% for Wales, 95.5% for Scotland, and 63.8% for Northern Ireland.

Offshore provision

‘Offshore provision’ is the term used to describe study taking place entirely outside the UK, but where the students either are registered at a UK HEI, or are registered with a partner organisation in the country of study but are working towards a qualification awarded by a UK HEI ; such students are termed ‘offshore students’. It is thought that the volume of offshore provision has substantially increased in recent years, but quantitative evidence has not been available. Up to and including 2006/07, data on offshore students was collected at the individual level through the HESA student data collection, using a simplified record structure (a ‘reduced record’), but submission of this part of the collection was optional for institutions, and it was known from other evidence that the reported total of just under 80,000 offshore students greatly underestimated the total level of activity. Because of this, HESA did not include material on offshore provision in the student volume.

One outcome of the review of the student record for 2007/08 onwards was the discontinuation of the use of a reduced record for offshore students, since that level of detail was not required. A separate aggregate collection was designed to obtain the required data. Government departments in the four administrations then decided that the financial and reputational significance of offshore provision to UK HEIs individually, and to the UK HE system as a whole, meant that for policy purposes it was necessary to have full coverage, and to achieve this they decided to use their powers under legislation to make that aggregate collection mandatory. In consequence, it is now possible for the first time to publish information on offshore provision.

 

Table O - Students studying wholly overseas by location, type and level of provision 2007/08
  Level of provision
  Total all levels Total HE level Postgraduate (research) Postgraduate (taught) First degree Other undergraduate Further education
Within the European Union
Students registered at a UK HEI 36330 36330 510 14385 19110 2330 0
Overseas campus of reporting HEI 370 370 20 355 0 0 0
Distance, flexible or distributed learning 24070 24070 280 9950 11935 1900 0
Other arrangement including collaborative provision 11890 11890 205 4080 7175 430 0
Students studying for an award of a UK HEI(1) 10040 10040 90 2660 7115 180 0
Overseas partner organisation 10035 10035 90 2655 7115 180 0
Other arrangement 5 5 0 5 0 0 0
Outside the European Union
Students registered at a UK HEI 131075 131040 795 37805 84930 7510 35
Overseas campus of reporting HEI 6755 6715 100 1615 4230 775 35
Distance, flexible or distributed learning 76290 76290 580 30775 39365 5570 0
Other arrangement including collaborative provision 48030 48030 110 5415 41335 1170 0
Students studying for an award of a UK HEI(1) 19305 19230 150 5040 13575 465 75
Overseas partner organisation 19215 19140 90 5015 13575 465 75
Other arrangement 90 90 60 30 0 0 0
Total 196750 196640 1535 59890 124725 10485 110
In this table 0, 1, 2 are rounded to 0. All other numbers are rounded up or down to the nearest multiple of 5.
(1) Students who are not registered at a UK HEI.

Table O provides a breakdown by level of study and by the nature of the relationship with the student, and is disaggregated between EU and non-EU provision, where the patterns of provision differ materially. In 2007/08 there were 0 FE-level offshore students studying within the EU, and 110 outside it. All subsequent analysis relates to HE-level offshore students only, of which there were 46,370 (23.6%) studying within the EU, and 150,265 (76.4%) outside it, a total of 196,640. Of those studying within the EU, 78.3% were registered with a UK HEI, and this rose to 87.2% for those studying outside the EU. For study both within the EU (51.9%) and outside it (50.8%), distance learning was the commonest form of relationship, all such students being registered with a UK HEI. Although the development of overseas campuses has attracted considerable publicity, they accounted for small absolute numbers of offshore students, only 370 within the EU and 6,715 outside it. The proportion of offshore students studying at postgraduate level was 38.0% within the EU and 28.7% outside it; very few of these were research students.

 

Table P - Students studying wholly overseas by location (top 20 countries) and level of provision 2007/08
  Level of provision
  Total all levels Total HE level Postgraduate (research) Postgraduate (taught) First degree Other undergraduate Further education
Canada 2050 2050 35 1335 620 60 0
China 10530 10450 55 1875 8450 70 75
Egypt 3500 3500 5 475 2980 35 0
Germany 5350 5350 55 2190 2845 260 0
Greece 9575 9575 35 4050 5155 340 0
Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region of China) 21280 21280 165 5170 15640 305 0
India 4930 4930 15 2325 2435 160 0
Ireland 8980 8980 80 2635 5755 515 0
Israel 4455 4455 45 1525 2880 0 0
Malaysia 20525 20525 105 2610 16560 1250 0
Oman 6240 6240 5 765 5075 395 0
Romania 2525 2525 0 760 1760 5 0
Russia 9545 9545 0 2610 6835 100 0
Singapore 20845 20845 70 2940 16570 1260 0
Spain 4880 4880 15 370 4400 95 0
Sri Lanka 2955 2955 5 460 2190 300 0
Switzerland 2855 2855 10 1475 1200 170 0
Trinidad & Tobago 8605 8605 25 1535 6055 990 0
United Arab Emirates 4220 4180 40 2450 1355 340 35
United States 2180 2180 95 1360 545 185 0
Total 156025 155915 860 38905 109310 6840 110
In this table 0, 1, 2 are rounded to 0. All other numbers are rounded up or down to the nearest multiple of 5.

Table P shows the breakdown by level of study for the twenty countries with the greatest level of offshore provision. Between them, they accounted for four-fifths of the offshore provision. Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region of China), Singapore and Malaysia, with over 20,000 offshore students each, were by far the largest sources of offshore students.


1  Non-statutory publications omit any contribution from individuals who have notified HESA of their wish to be excluded in circumstances such as the publication of the present volume where inclusion is not defined as a requirement by the bodies whose statutory powers underpin HESA data collection.

2  These figures do not include students on directly funded foundation degree programmes at FECs, so are not a measure of the total uptake of Foundation Degree programmes.

3  Except where Guernsey, Jersey and Isle of Man students have been separated out explicitly, they have been included in UK figures.

4  This number is lower than in recently preceding years because some of the most heavily ‘mixed-economy’ HEIs in England no longer report their FE student numbers through HESA.

The Bailiwicks of Guernsey and Jersey include between them the minor Channel Islands.