Statistical overview of higher education

HE Statistics for the United Kingdom 2002/03

The Higher Education Statistics Agency’s latest publication HE Statistics for the United Kingdom 2002/03 is released today. It provides an official overview of the UK’s higher education sector using HESA data and also information from a wide-range of bodies such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the Student Loans Company and the Universities and Colleges Admission Service.

Some key points from this year’s publication are:

• 672,080 students were following non-credit bearing courses in 2002/03. 447,475 of these students were at the HE/advanced level, with subjects allied to medicine being the most popular subject area. 73,420 students were at the FE/non-advanced level.
• The number of all credit bearing HE students receiving no award or financial backing for tuition fees (i.e. paying their own fees) in 2002/03 is 884,400 (47.9 per cent).
• The number of all credit bearing HE students receiving a mandatory or discretionary award from a UK Local Education Authority¹ is 547,225 (29.6 per cent).
• 57,405 students from the UK were following Initial Teacher Training² (ITT) courses. 34,145 of these students were first year students. 28,470 ITT students qualified in 2002/03 – 20,460 with a PGCE and 8,015 with a BEd or other ITT first degree.
• In 2002/03, 259,590 (68.9 per cent) first year students started first degree courses with A-levels, Scottish Highers or equivalent qualifications.³

Notes for Editors

1. Includes the Student Awards Agency for Scotland and the Department for Education for Northern Ireland.
2. 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.
3. Includes GNVQ/GSVQ level 3 or NVQ/SVQ level 3 qualifications.
4. Percentages are based on those who have a known source of tuition fees or known highest qualification on entry where appropriate. All numbers of students quoted above have been rounded to the nearest 5.
5. Higher Education Statistics for the United Kingdom 2002/03 provides a statistical overview of higher education in the UK. It is available from the Customer Services Team, HESA Services Ltd., 95 Promenade, Cheltenham, GL50 1HZ; telephone: 01242 211155. An electronic version on CD-ROM is also available. A list of other publications can be obtained from the Customer Services Team.
6. HESA cannot accept responsibility for any inferences or conclusions derived from the data by third parties.
7. Press enquiries should be directed to Press Officer at HESA, 95 Promenade, Cheltenham, GL50 1HZ; telephone 01242 211133.

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