Higher Education Student Data
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').
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| Question | Table/chart | Published by | Theme | Keywords |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| How many students are there in higher education? | HE student enrolments by level of study 2012/13 - 2016/17 | HESA | Student numbers | student; enrolments; enrolment |
| How have student numbers changed over time? | Chart: First year student enrolments, 2007/08 - 2016/17 HE student enrolments by level of study 2012/13 - 2016/17 |
HESA | Time series | enrolments; enrolment; students; changes |
| How many students are studying at university x? | HE student enrolments by HE provider and domicile 2016/17 | 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 2012/13 - 2016/17 (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 2016/17 (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 2012/13 - 2016/17 | 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 2016/17 (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 2012/13 - 2016/17 UK domiciled student enrolments by ethnicity and sex 2016/17 (detailed breakdown) |
HESA | Personal characteristics | Ethnicity, white, black, Asian |
| How many mature students are in HE? | HE student enrolments by personal characteristics 2012/13 - 2016/17 | HESA | Personal characteristics | Age, mature |
| What proportion of HE students identify as disabled? | HE student enrolments by personal characteristics 2012/13 - 2016/17 | HESA | Personal characteristics | Disability, disabled |
| How many students report having a mental health condition? | UK domiciled student enrolments by disability and sex 2016/17 | HESA | Personal characteristics | Wellbeing, mental health, disability, disabled |
| How many students drop out of HE? | The latest data on students' non-continuation rates will be published in March 2018. You can view previous non-continuation releases. | HESA | Continuation rates | Continuation, progression, dropout, drop-out, non-continuation |
| What proportion of students live at home? | Full-time and sandwich students by term-time accommodation 2015/16 and 2016/17 | HESA | Location | Accommodation, location, parent, parents, guardians, house, home |
| How have international student numbers changed over time? | HE student enrolments by domicile 2012/13 - 2016/17 | 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 2016/17 | HESA | International | International, overseas, foreign, Europe, domicile |
| What proportion of students get a first? | Percentage of first degree qualifiers obtaining each classification 2012/13 to 2016/16 | HESA | Degree classifications | Degrees, classes, classifications, first, first class, first-class, firsts, grade, grades, |
| How has access to higher education changed over time? | HE undergraduate UK domiciled full-time student enrolments by participation characteristics 2012/13 - 2016/17 Chart: Percentage of UK domiciled young full-time first degree entrants from state schools by academic year 1998/99 - 2016/17 Chart: Percentage of UK domiciled young full-time first degree entrants from low participation neighbourhoods by academic year 1998/99 - 2016/17 |
HESA | Widening participation | Widening participation, participation, access, outreach, background |
| What is the gender breakdown on science subjects? | HE student enrolments by subject area and sex 2012/13 - 2016/17 | HESA | Subjects | STEM, science, technology, engineering, maths, sciences, sex |
| What proportion of students in HE come from state schools? | HE undergraduate UK domiciled full-time student enrolments by participation characteristics 2012/13 - 2016/17 | HESA | Widening participation | Widening participation, participation, access, outreach, state, schools, school, background |
| How do widening participation rates differ between universities? | See the UK Performance Indicators: Widening participation release for data and commentary | HESA | Widening participation | Widening participation, participation, access, outreach, background |
| How has the percentage of students achieving first class degrees changed over time? | Percentage of first degree qualifiers obtaining each classification 2012/13 to 2016/16 Chart: Classified first degree qualifications by class 2006/07 to 2016/17 |
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 2012/13 - 2016/17 | HESA | Qualifiers | qualifications; qualifiers; quals; |
| What is the breakdown by ethnicity on subject x? | UK domiciled undergraduate students of known ethnicity by subject area and ethnicity 2016/17 | HESA | Personal characteristics | Ethnicity, white, black, Asian, course; module; subject; programme |
| How have enrolments on specific subjects changed over time? | Chart: Change in HE student enrolments by subject area between 2015/16 and 2016/17 HE student enrolments by subject area and sex 2012/13 - 2016/17 |
HESA | Time series | course; module; subject; programme |
| How many undergraduate students are there in higher education? | HE student enrolments by level of study 2012/13 - 2016/17 | 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 2007/08 - 2016/17 HE qualifications obtained by level of qualification 2012/13 - 2016/17 |
HESA | Time series | qualifications; qualifiers; quals; grades |
| How many students are studying for a Masters in Business Administration (MBAs)? | MBA students by domicile 2015/16 and 2016/17 | HESA | Subjects | MBA; Business masters; Business; |
| Where do MBA students come from? | MBA students by domicile 2015/16 and 2016/17 | HESA | International | MBA; Business masters; Business, Masters of business administration |
| How have part-time student numbers changed over time? | Chart: First year student enrolments, 2007/08 - 2016/17 HE student enrolments by level of study 2012/13 - 2016/17 |
HESA | Time series | part-time; mode |
| What subjects are studied most by male students and most by female students? | HE student enrolments by subject area and sex 2012/13 - 2016/17 HE student enrolments by subject of study 2016/17 Chart: All students by subject area and sex 2016/17 |
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 2016/17 | HESA | Personal characteristics | Tariff, grades, applications, entrants |
| What is the gender breakdown at university x? | HE student enrolments by HE provider 2016/17 | 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 2012/13 - 2016/17 | HESA | Personal characteristics | Age, mature |
| How many students are studying subject x? | HE student enrolments by subject of study and domicile 2016/17 | HESA | Subjects | course; module; subject; programme |
| Where do students live while they're studying? | Full-time and sandwich students by term-time accommodation 2015/16 and 2016/17 | 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 2015/16 and 2016/17 | 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 2016/17 (select the 'Non EU' or 'Other EU' options in the 'Domicile' filter to exclude UK countries 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 2016/17 | HESA | Subjects | course; module; subject; programme |
| What percentage of female students enrol on science subjects? | Percentage of HE student enrolments in science subject areas by personal characteristics 2012/13 - 2016/17 | 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 subject areas by personal characteristics 2012/13 - 2016/17 | 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 area and sex 2012/13 - 2016/17 HE student enrolments by subject of study 2016/17 Chart: All students by subject area and sex 2016/17 |
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 2016/17 (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 2012/13 - 2016/17 | 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 2012/13 - 2016/17 | 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 2016/17 | HESA | Student numbers | student; enrolments; enrolment |
| What is the proportion of students from low participation neighbourhoods at university x? | Table T1 – Participation of under-represented groups in higher education: UK domiciled young full-time undergraduate entrants 2016/17 (click the 'Low participation neighbourhoods' filter) Table T2a – Participation of under-represented groups in higher education: UK domiciled mature full-time undergraduate entrants 2016/17 |
HESA | Widening participation | Widening participation, participation, access, outreach, background, POLAR, POLAR3, HEP, HEPs, HE provider, colleges, college, university, universities |
| What is the proportion of students from state schools at university x? | Table T1 – Participation of under-represented groups in higher education: UK domiciled young full-time undergraduate entrants 2016/17 | HESA | Widening participation | Widening participation, participation, access, outreach, background, state schools, HEPs, HE provider, colleges, college, university, universities |
| How many students are studying on teacher training programmes? | ITT students by HE provider and level of study 2016/17 | 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 2016/17 | HESA | Location | |
| What is the regional breakdown of students in higher education? | HE student enrolments by domicile and region of HE provider 2016/17 | HESA | Location | |
| Which countries send the most students to the UK? | Chart: Top ten European Union countries of domicile (excluding the UK) in 2016/17 Chart: Top ten non-European Union countries of domicile (excluding the UK) in 2016/17 |
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 2016/17 | 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 2016/17 | HESA | International | International, overseas, foreign, domicile |
| How have student enrolments from the EU changed over time? | HE student enrolments by domicile 2012/13 - 2016/17 Chart: First year non-UK domicile students by domicile 2006/07 to 2016/17 |
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 2016/17 | 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 2016/17 | 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) in 2016/17 Chart: First year non-UK domicile students by domicile 2006/07 to 2016/17 |
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 2012/13 - 2016/17 | 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 in 2016/17 | 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 2016/17 | 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 2016/17 (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 2012/13 - 2016/17 | 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 2012/13 - 2016/17 | 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 2012/13 - 2016/17 | 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 2012/13 - 2016/17 | HESA | Student numbers | students; student; enrolments; enrolment; postgrad; PG; PGR; Postgraduate research; DPhil; MPhil; PhD; doctor; |
| 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, ethniciity 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 | HEFCE | Student satisfaction | |
| How satisfied are postgraduate taught students? | Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey Report 2017 | Higher Education Academy | Student satisfaction | |
| How satisfied are postgraduate research students? | Postgraduate Research Experience Survey Report 2017 | Higher Education Academy | Student satisfaction |