Where are students at APs studying?
In 2016/17, 96 providers reported data to the HESA AP student record. Figure 3 shows the number of students studying at each AP in 2016/17, with a breakdown by the geographic location of students' permanent home address prior to study (known as domicile).
Figure 3 - Alternative provider student enrolments by alternative provider and domicile
2016/17
Where do AP students come from?
Figure 4 shows that 86% of all students studying on designated courses at APs came from the UK in 2016/17. A further 5% were from other European Union (EU) countries and the remaining 9% came from countries outside the EU. Proportions of students from outside the UK varied by both level and mode of study. UK students made up the majority of enrolments for all modes and levels of study. Full-time Masters taught students had the highest percentage from non-EU countries, at 35%, note that Masters taught figures relate only to those designated courses delivered by APs with degree awarding powers (see notes for more detail).
In 2016/17, there were 580 students from Italy and 495 students from China on designated courses at APs. These were the top two countries of domicile outside of the UK.
Figure 4 - AP student enrolments on designated courses by level of study and domicile
2016/17
What are students at APs studying?
All analysis of subject data is shown as full-person equivalent (FPE). These are derived by splitting student instances between the different subjects that make up their course.
Figures 5 and 6 show that business & administrative studies attracted the highest number of students onto designated courses in 2016/17, at 26,355. This was also the subject attracting the most number of students to publicly funded providers (source: HESA). Patterns varied by mode and level of study. The subject with the highest number of postgraduate students in 2016/17 was law, see notes for further information about the population restriction on Masters taught data. Just 10% of students on designated courses at APs were studying science subjects, representing 6,060 students.
The proportion of males and females differed by subject area. In 2016/17, 51% of business & administrative studies, 41% of creative arts & design and 65% of law students were female. In comparison, 49% of business & administrative studies, 64% of creative arts & design and 62% of law students at publicly funded HE providers were female (source: HESA).
Figure 5 - AP student enrolments on designated courses by subject area and sex
2016/17
Figure 6 shows how age distributions vary between subjects. Amongst undergraduate students on designated courses in 2016/17, 56% of those studying business & administrative studies were aged 30 and over, and 13% were aged 20 and under. Of those studying creative arts & design, just 4% were aged 30 and over, but 60% were aged 20 and under.
Variations were also seen in the proportions of Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) students studying each subject. Amongst undergraduate students on designated courses in 2016/17, 69% of those studying business & administrative studies were BME. In contrast, 15% of those studying creative arts & design were BME.
Figure 6 - Alternative provider student enrolments on designated courses by subject area and personal characteristics
2015/16 to 2016/17
Next: Qualifications achieved
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