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Higher Education Student Data

Data for 2021/22 was added to these pages on Tuesday 31 January 2023. Corrected versions of the csv files for tables 28 and 59 were published later on 31 January 2023. Updates to tables 11 and 59 were published on Tuesday 28 February 2023 adding csv files displaying domicile breakdowns by local authority/unitary authority (LAUA). 

High level results at a national level are also published in our Statistical Bulletin:
Higher Education Student Statistics: UK, 2021/22

 

HE Student Data: Frequently asked questions

We publish a wide range of tables and charts about students in higher education. The areas above guide you through the information we collect, and we have also published a complete list of our tables.

The table below identifies the charts and tables that answer some of the most common questions about HE students. Use the drop-down filter to select the topic that most interests you, or the search box to display more specific questions (such as searching for 'part-time', or 'MBA').

Filter by topic:

 

Search questions:

Question Table/chart Published by Theme Keywords
How many students are there in higher education? HE student enrolments by level of study HESA Student numbers student; enrolments; enrolment
How have student numbers changed over time? Chart: First year student enrolments
HE student enrolments by level of study
HESA Time series enrolments; enrolment; students; changes
How many students are studying at university x? HE student enrolments by HE provider and domicile HESA Universities and colleges HEP; HEPs; providers; HE providers; universities; colleges; university; college; school
How many part-time students are there? HE student enrolments by level of study (use the 'Mode of study' filter) HESA Student numbers part-time; mode
What subjects are students studying? HE student enrolments by subject of study and domicile
HE student enrolments by subject of study and domicile 2014/15 to 2018/19
(use the 'Subject of study' drop-down filter to switch between subject groupings)
HESA Subjects course; module; subject; programme
What is the gender breakdown in higher education? HE student enrolments by personal characteristics HESA Personal characteristics sex; gender; male; female; men; women;
How many students are studying science subjects? HE student enrolments by subject of study and domicile
HE student enrolments by subject of study and domicile 2014/15 to 2018/19
(use the 'Subject of study' drop-down filter to switch between subject groupings)
HESA Subjects STEM, science, technology, engineering, maths, sciences,
What is the ethnic profile of HE students? HE student enrolments by personal characteristics
UK domiciled student enrolments by ethnicity and sex (detailed breakdown)
HESA Personal characteristics Ethnicity, white, black, Asian
How many mature students are in HE? HE student enrolments by personal characteristics
HE student enrolments by age and domicile
HESA Personal characteristics Age, mature
What proportion of HE students identify as disabled? HE student enrolments by personal characteristics HESA Personal characteristics Disability, disabled
How many students report having a mental health condition? UK domiciled student enrolments by disability and sex  HESA Personal characteristics Wellbeing, mental health, disability, disabled
What proportion of students live at home? Full-time and sandwich students by term-time accommodation
Full-time and sandwich students by HE provider and term-time accommodation
HESA Location Accommodation, location, parent, parents, guardians, house, home
How have international student numbers changed over time? HE student enrolments by domicile HESA Time series International, overseas, foreign, Europe, domicile, non-UK
What countries do higher education students come from? HE student enrolments by domicile and region of HE provider
HE student enrolments by domicile and region of HE provider (LAUA)
HESA International International, overseas, foreign, Europe, domicile, local, unitary, authority, laua, county, city
What local authorities do higher education students come from? UK domiciled HE students by HE provider and domicile
UK domiciled HE students by HE provider and domicile (LAUA)
HESA Student numbers UK, home, county, city, local, unitary, authority, laua
What proportion of students get a first? Percentage of first degree qualifiers obtaining each classification HESA Degree classifications Degrees, classes, classifications, first, first class, first-class, firsts, grade, grades,
How has access to higher education changed over time? UK domiciled full-time HE undergraduate student enrolments by participation characteristics HESA Widening participation Widening participation, participation, access, outreach, background
What is the gender breakdown on science subjects? HE student enrolments by subject group and sex HESA Subjects STEM, science, technology, engineering, maths, sciences, sex
What proportion of students in HE come from state schools? UK domiciled full-time HE undergraduate student enrolments by participation characteristics HESA Widening participation Widening participation, participation, access, outreach, state, schools, school, background
How has the percentage of students achieving first class degrees changed over time? Percentage of first degree qualifiers obtaining each classification
Chart: Classified first degree qualifications by class
HESA Degree classifications Degrees, classes, classifications, first, first class, first-class, firsts, grade, grades,
How many qualifiers from HE are there? HE qualifications obtained by level of qualification HESA Qualifiers qualifications; qualifiers; quals; qualify
What is the breakdown by ethnicity on subject x? UK domiciled undergraduate students of known ethnicity by subject area and ethnicity
UK domiciled undergraduate students of known ethnicity by subject area and ethnicity 2014/15 to 2018/19
HESA Personal characteristics Ethnicity, white, black, Asian, course; module; subject; programme
How many undergraduate students are there in higher education? HE student enrolments by level of study HESA Student numbers students; student; enrolments; enrolment; undergrad; UG; undergraduate; first degree; bachelor's; BA, bachelors
How have the number of qualifiers changed over time? Chart: HE qualifications obtained by level of qualification
HE qualifications obtained by level of qualification
HESA Time series qualifications; qualifiers; quals; qualify; grades
How many students are studying for a Masters in Business Administration (MBAs)? MBA students by domicile HESA Subjects MBA; Business masters; Business;
Where do MBA students come from? MBA students by domicile HESA International MBA; Business masters; Business, Masters of business administration
How have part-time student numbers changed over time? Chart: First year student enrolments
HE student enrolments by level of study
HESA Time series part-time; mode
What subjects are studied most by male students and most by female students? HE student enrolments by subject group and sex
HE student enrolments by subject of study
HE student enrolments (including on AP designated courses) by subject area and sex
Chart: All students by subject area and sex
HESA Subjects sex; gender; male; female; men; women; course; module; subject; programme
What are the entry qualifications of HE students? First year UK domiciled HE student enrolments by subject of study and highest qualification on entry
First year UK domiciled HE student enrolments by subject of study and highest qualification on entry 2014/15 to 2018/19
HESA Personal characteristics Tariff, grades, applications, entrants
What is the gender breakdown at university x? HE student enrolments by HE provider HESA Personal characteristics sex; gender; male; female; men; women; HEP; HEPs; providers; HE providers; universites; colleges; university; college; school
What is the age profile of HE students? HE student enrolments by personal characteristics
HE student enrolments by age and domicile
HESA Personal characteristics Age, mature
How many students are studying subject x? HE student enrolments by subject of study and domicile
HE student enrolments by subject of study and domicile 2014/15 to 2018/19
HESA Subjects course; module; subject; programme
Where do students live while they're studying? Full-time and sandwich students by term-time accommodation
Full-time and sandwich students by HE provider and term-time accommodation
HESA Location Accommodation, location, parent, parents, guardians, house, home
How many students live in provider-owned accommodation? Full-time and sandwich students by term-time accommodation
Full-time and sandwich students by HE provider and term-time accommodation
HESA Location Accommodation, location, parent, parents, guardians, house, home
How many students come from country x? HE student enrolments by domicile and region of HE provider (select the 'Non EU' or 'Other EU' options in the 'Domicile' filter to exclude UK counties from the list) HESA International International, overseas, foreign, Europe, domicile
How many students at university x are studying subject x? HE student enrolments by HE provider and subject of study
HE student enrolments by HE provider and subject of study 2014/15 to 2018/19
HESA Subjects course; module; subject; programme
What percentage of female students enroll on science subjects? Percentage of HE student enrolments in science subjects by personal characteristics HESA Personal characteristics course; module; subject; programme
How has the percentage of female students enrolled on science subjects changed over time? Percentage of HE student enrolments in science subjects by personal characteristics HESA Time series STEM, science, technology, engineering, maths, sciences, female, women, sex, gender
What is the gender breakdown on x subject? HE student enrolments by subject group and sex
HE student enrolments by subject of study
HE student enrolments (including on AP designated courses) by subject area and sex
Chart: All students by subject area and sex
HESA Personal characteristics sex; gender; male; female; men; women; course; module; subject; programme
How many international students study subject x? HE student enrolments by subject of study (click the 'Domicile' radio button) HESA International course; module; subject; programme
How many students from low participation neighbourhoods are there in HE? HE undergraduate UK domiciled full-time student enrolments by participation characteristics HESA Widening participation Widening participation, participation, access, outreach, background, POLAR, POLAR3
How many students’ had parents/guardians that went to university? HE undergraduate UK domiciled full-time student enrolments by participation characteristics HESA Widening participation Widening participation, participation, access, outreach, background
How many sandwich students are there? Undergraduate sandwich student enrolments by subject of study and sex
Undergraduate sandwich student enrolments by subject of study and sex 2014/15 to 2018/19
HESA Student numbers student; enrolments; enrolment
How many students are studying on teacher training programmes? ITT students by HE provider and level of study HESA Subjects course; module; subject; programme; ITT; teaching; PGCE
How many students are there in England / Wales / Scotland / Northern Ireland? HE student enrolments by domicile and region of HE provider HESA Location  
What is the regional breakdown of students in higher education? HE student enrolments by domicile and region of HE provider HESA Location  
Which countries send the most students to the UK? Chart: Top ten European Union countries of domicile (excluding the UK) in 2017/18 HESA International International, overseas, foreign, Europe, domicile
What proportion of students come from the EU? Chart: HE student enrolments at HE providers in the UK by level of study, mode of study and domicile HESA International International, overseas, foreign, Europe, domicile, European Union, Brexit
What proportion of students come from outside the EU? Chart: HE student enrolments at HE providers in the UK by level of study, mode of study and domicile HESA International International, overseas, foreign, domicile
How have student enrolments from the EU changed over time? HE student enrolments by domicile
Chart: First year non-UK domicile students by domicile
HESA Time series International, overseas, foreign, Europe, domicile, European Union, Brexit
How many international students are there at university x? HE student enrolments by HE provider and domicile HESA Universities and colleges International, overseas, foreign, Europe, domicile
How many EU students are there at university x? HE student enrolments by HE provider and domicile HESA Universities and colleges International, overseas, foreign, Europe, domicile, European Union, Brexit
How have student enrolments from China changed over time? Chart: Top ten non-European Union countries of domicile (excluding the UK)
Chart: First year non-UK domicile students by domicile
HESA International International, overseas, foreign, domicile, China, Chinese, Asia
How many overseas students are there? HE student enrolments studying wholly overseas by location of provision 2013/14 - 2017/18 HESA International Aggregate offshore, offshore, overseas
Where do the majority of overseas students study? Chart: Transnational students studying wholly overseas for a UK higher education qualification HESA International Aggregate offshore, offshore, overseas, transnational
How many overseas students are registered at university x? Aggregate offshore students by HE provider and level of study HESA Universities and colleges Aggregate offshore, offshore, overseas, HEP, HE providers, university, college, transnational
How many students at university x achieve a first? HE qualifiers by HE provider and level of qualification obtained (use the 'Classification of first degree' radio  button') HESA Degree classifications HEP; HEPs; providers; HE providers; universities; colleges; university; college; school, Degrees, classes, classifications, first, first class, first-class, firsts, grade, grades,
How many students are enrolled on first degree courses? HE student enrolments by level of study HESA Student numbers students; student; enrolments; enrolment; undergrad; UG; undergraduate; first degree; bachelor's; BA; bachelors; BSc
How many students are enrolled on postgraduate courses? HE student enrolments by level of study HESA Student numbers students; student; enrolments; enrolment; postgrad; PG; PGT; PGR; postgraduate; masters; master's; MA; MSc; PhD; MPhil; MBA; Postgraduate research
How many students are studying for Masters courses? HE student enrolments by level of study HESA Student numbers students; student; enrolments; enrolment; postgrad; PG; PGT; postgraduate; masters; master's; MA; MSc; MBA
How many students are studying for doctorates? HE student enrolments by level of study HESA Student numbers students; student; enrolments; enrolment; postgrad; PG; PGR; Postgraduate research; DPhil; MPhil; PhD; doctor;
What are the subjects of graduates' qualifications? HE qualifiers by subject of study and domicile
HE qualifiers by subject of study and domicile 2014/15 to 2018/19
HESA Subjects course; module; subject; programme; degrees; discipline; science
How do degree classes vary by graduates' ethnicity? UK domiciled first degree qualifiers by classification of first degree, sex, age group, disability marker and ethnicity marker HESA Degree classifications Degrees, classes, classifications, first, first class, first-class, firsts, grade, grades, Ethnicity, white, black, Asian, BME. BAME, minority
How many Black, Asian and minority ethnic students attend more selective universities? UK domiciled first year students at higher education providers with low, medium and high entry tariffs by ethnicity HESA Widening participation Ethnicity, white, black, Asia, BME. BAME, minority, selective, entry, Russell, Tariff, grades, applications, entrants
How many students from each country study at each university? Non-UK domiciled HE students by HE provider and country of domicile HESA International International, overseas, foreign, Europe, domicile, provider; universities; colleges; university; college; school
What is the age profile of graduates from each university? HE qualifiers by HE provider and age group HESA Personal characteristics Age, mature, graduate, qualify, qualifiers, younger, older
How many disabled students graduate from university? HE qualifiers by HE provider and disability marker
UK domiciled qualifiers by disability and sex
HESA Personal characteristics Disability, disabled
How many Black, Asian and minority ethnic students graduate from each university? UK domiciled HE qualifiers by HE provider and ethnicity marker HESA Personal characteristics Ethnicity, white, black, Asian, BME, BAME, minority
What is the age profile of graduates by subject? HE qualifiers by subject of study and age group
HE qualifiers by subject of study and age group 2014/15 to 2018/19
HESA Personal characteristics Age, mature, graduate, qualify, qualifiers, younger, older, subject
What are disabled graduates' qualifications by subject? HE qualifiers by subject of study and disability marker
HE qualifiers by subject of study and disability marker 2014/15 to 2018/19
HESA Personal characteristics Disability, disabled, subject
What are Black, Asian and minority ethnic graduates' qualifications by subject? UK domiciled qualifiers by subject of study and ethnicity
UK domiciled qualifiers by subject of study and ethnicity 2014/15 to 2018/19
HESA Personal characteristics Ethnicity, white, black, Asian, BME, BAME, minority, subject
How do entry qualifications affect degree classification? HE qualifiers by highest qualification on entry and classification of first degree HESA Degree classifications Degrees, classes, classifications, first, first class, first-class, firsts, grade, grades, A level, entry, qualification
What is the Full-time equivalent of students by department? HE student enrolment FTE by HE provider and cost centre HESA Student numbers FTE, Full-time, equivalent, academic, department, cost centre
How many students study by distance learning? HE student enrolments by HE provider and location of study HESA Student numbers distance, learning, online
How many students study abroad for a year? HE student enrolments by HE provider and location of study HESA Student numbers overseas, abroad, exchange, placement, placements
How many students are on work placements? HE student enrolments by HE provider and location of study HESA Student numbers work, experience, industry, industrial, placement, placements
How many applications to HE were there? UCAS End of Cycle report: Summary of applicants and acceptances UCAS Applications and acceptances  
How many applicants accepted their place? UCAS End of Cycle report: Summary of applicants and acceptances UCAS Applications and acceptances  
How do application rates vary by age, subject, geography, ethnicity and economic background? UCAS End of Cycle report: Patterns by age, subject, geography and characteristics UCAS Applications and acceptances  
How satisfied are undergraduate students? National Student Survey results Office for Students Student satisfaction  
How satisfied are postgraduate taught students? Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey Report 2019 Advance HE Student satisfaction  
How satisfied are postgraduate research students? Postgraduate Research Experience Survey Report 2019 Advance HE Student satisfaction