HE Statistics for the UK released 2005/06: Statistical overview of higher education

The Higher Education Statistics Agency’s latest publication, 'HE Statistics for the United Kingdom 2005/06' is released today. It is prepared in conjunction with the Government Statistical Service and provides an official overview of the UK’s higher education sector using HESA data. It also contains information from a wide-range of other bodies such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the Student Loans Company, the Office for National Statistics and UCAS.

Some key points from this year’s publication are:

• The total number of HE level students at UK HE & FE institutions rose from 2,480,145 in 2004/05 to 2,522,035 in 2005/06.
• 640,850 students obtained HE qualifications from UK higher education institutions in 2005/06, up from 633,045 students in 2004/05.
• The sector had a total income of over £19.5bn, up 8.4%, from under £18bn in 2004/05.
• The number of students taking an initial teacher training course¹ continued to grow in 2005/06 with a total of 38,005 first year UK domiciled students (37,265 in 2004/05).
• Among those students qualifying from an initial teacher training course, women continue to outnumber men, 23,865 women against just 8,065 men qualifying in 2005/06.
• 355,415 staff were working at UK HE institutions, of which 164,875 were academic staff.
• A further 165,560 staff were classed as ‘atypical’², of which 80,930 were academic.
• There were 106,225 EU domiciled (excluding UK) students at UK HEI’s for 2005/06 (100,005 in 2004/05).
• There were 506,305 UCAS applicants for 2006 entry, of which 77.2% (390,890) were accepted.

Notes to Editors

1. Initial or pre-service teacher training course leading to qualified teacher status or to registration as a school teacher with the General Teaching Council for Scotland. ITT figures are restricted to UK domiciled students.
2. Atypical staff are those whose working arrangements are not permanent, involve complex employment relationships and/or involve work away from the supervision of the normal work provider.
3. Data relating to staff and student numbers are rounded up or down to the nearest multiple of 5. FTE values are not subject to the rounding strategy. 0, 1, 2 are rounded to 0.
4. Press enquiries should be directed to:
   
   • HESA Press Office
   • 01242 211120
   • [email protected]
   • 95 Promenade, Cheltenham, GL50 1HZ
5. Higher Education Statistics for the United Kingdom 2005/06 is available from the Customer Services Team:
   
   • HESA Services Ltd.
   • 95 Promenade
   • Cheltenham
   • Gloucestershire
   • GL50 1HZ
   • 01242 211155
   • [email protected]
6. HESA cannot accept responsibility for any inferences or conclusions derived from the data by third parties.

Ends