Qualifications obtained by and examination results of higher education students at higher education institutions in the United Kingdom for the academic year 1999/2000

Introduction

This Statistical First Release (SFR) has been produced by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) in collaboration with Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) statisticians. It provides provisional details of qualifications obtained by and examination results of higher education (HE) students at HE institutions (HEIs) in the United Kingdom for the academic year 1999/00.

Key Points

The number of first degree graduates increased by 1% from 263,700 in 1998/99 to 265,300 in 1999/00.

Of those gaining a first degree in 1999/00, 8% obtained a first class honours award, the same proportion as in 1998/99. 43% obtained an upper second class honours award, compared to 42% in 1998/99.

10% of first degree graduates gained their award through part-time study in 1999/00. This compares exactly with 1998/99.

54% of first degree graduates in 1999/00 were women.

In 1999/00 38% of first degree graduates achieved their qualification in science. Of these, 44% were women.

The number awarded other undergraduate qualifications was 72,500 in 1999/00, an increase of 6% from 1998/99.

122,700 students obtained HE qualifications at postgraduate level in 1999/00. Of these, 18,800 (15%) were awarded a Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE), 14,400 (12%) completed their studies mainly by research, and a further 89,500 (73%) obtained qualifications after following taught postgraduate courses other than PGCE.

33,500 undergraduate and 32,500 postgraduate students obtaining HE qualifications in 1999/00 came from overseas. Overseas students accounted for 14% of all students awarded HE qualifications in 1999/00.

Tables

Table 1 shows the numbers of students obtaining HE qualifications at HEIs in the United Kingdom by Mode of Study, Domicile, Gender and Level of Course, 1995/96 to 1999/00.

Table 2 contains information on the examination results of students obtaining first degree qualifications at HEIs in the United Kingdom by Gender and Mode of Study, 1995/96 to 1999/00.

Table 3 shows the subject areas of HE qualifications obtained at HEIs in the United Kingdom by Level of Course and Gender, 1995/96 to 1999/00.

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Notes to Editors

1. The statistics in this SFR are derived from data collected from publicly funded higher education institutions in the UK by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). They include HE qualifications awarded by the Open University but exclude those obtained at further education colleges, the University of Buckingham and at private and independent HE colleges.
2. The 1999/00 figures in this SFR are provisional.

3. The figures presented in 2000 have been adjusted to take account of under reporting of qualifiers by one institution. Similarly, 1999 data underlying growth rate calculations between these years has been adjusted to take account of over reporting by one institution in the earlier year. The figures presented here may therefore differ from those published elsewhere that do not contain these adjustments.

   A number of qualifications awarded have been adjusted in previous years to take account of differences in reporting practices, mis-coding or mis-reporting of qualifiers by some institutions. Details of these adjustments can be found in earlier versions of this SFR.

4. A statistical reference volume Students in Higher Education Institutions, 1999/00 setting out more information about students in higher education in the UK will be published by HESA in April 2001.

Definitions

1. Higher education students are those students on courses that are of a standard that is higher than the Advanced Level of the General Certificate of Education, the Higher Grade of the Scottish Certificate of Education, GNVQ/NVQ level 3 or the BTEC or SCOTVEC National Certificate/Diploma.

2. The figures reported in this SFR are counts of student enrolments associated with the award of an HE qualification during the period 1 August to 31 July.

   For ease of reading the terms student and enrolment are used interchangeably.

   The figures reported in this SFR for the academic years 1995/96 to 1998/99 include all qualifications which were reported to HESA prior to 15 January. The detail of previous reporting schedules is given in earlier versions of this SFR. In 1999/00 the deadline for reporting qualifications was brought forward to 15 November and so the figures reported in this SFR for the academic year 1999/00 include all qualifications which were reported to HESA prior to this date. However it is not thought that changes in reporting schedules over the years has affected the number of qualifications reported.

3. Level of course

   Postgraduate courses are those leading to higher degrees, and diplomas and certificates (including postgraduate certificates of education and professional qualifications), which usually require a first degree as an entry qualification.

   First degrees include first degrees, first degree with eligibility to register to practice (doctor/ dentist/veterinary surgeon), first degrees with qualified teacher status, enhanced first degrees, first degrees obtained concurrently with a diploma, and intercalated first degrees.

   Other undergraduate HE includes all HE courses not listed above (e.g. Diploma of Higher Education, Higher National Diploma, etc.).

4. Mode of study

   1995/96 to 1997/98

   Full-time students include all students studying full-time (for more than 18 weeks in the academic year), students on thick or thin sandwich courses, and those on a study-related year out of their institution.

   Part-time students include those studying part-time, on block release, during the evenings only, or full-time for less than 18 weeks.

   Other modes of study include students writing up theses or on sabbatical.

   From 1996/97, the figures exclude those students studying for their whole programme of study entirely outside of the UK.

   1998/99 to 1999/00

   Full-time students include all students studying full-time (for more than or equal to 24 weeks in the academic year), and students on thick or thin sandwich courses.

   Part-time students include those studying part-time, on block release, during the evenings only, full-time for less than 24 weeks in the academic year or those employing “Other modes of study”.

   Other modes of study include those students writing up theses or on sabbatical.

5. UK domiciled students are those normally resident in the United Kingdom, including those living in the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.

6. In the tables, ‘1996’ refers to the academic year 1995/96, ‘1997’ refers to the academic year 1996/97, ‘1998’ refers to the academic year 1997/98, ‘1999’ refers to the academic year 1998/99 and ‘2000’ refers to the academic year 1999/00. The definitions of the symbols used in the tables are:

   ‘0.0’ zero.

   ‘-’ non-zero, less than the least significant figure shown.

   ‘.’ not applicable.

7. Press enquiries should be directed to the Data Provision Team at the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), 95 Promenade, Cheltenham, GL50 1HZ; Tel: 01242 211133. General enquiries about the data contained within this SFR should be addressed to Rachael Millichope, Data Quality Manager, HESA (at the same address); Tel: 01242 255577.

ENDS

Table 1: Qualifications Obtained by Students on Higher Education Courses by Mode of Study, Domicile, Gender and Level of Course, 1995/96 to 1999/00 (1)

(1) Please refer to Notes to Editors paragraphs 2 and 3.

Table 2: Examination Results of Students Obtaining First Degree Qualifications by Gender and Mode of Study, 1995/96 to 1999/00 (1)

• (1) Please refer to Notes to Editors paragraphs 2 and 3.
• (2) As a percentage of those whose class of First Degree was known.

Table 3: Qualifications Obtained by Students on Higher Education Courses by Level of Course, Gender and Subject Area 1995/96 to 1999/00 (1)

(1) Please refer to Notes to Editors paragraphs 2 and 3.