Dr. Jo Saxton, Chief Executive of UCAS, warns that the UK-wide competition by universities to recruit more domestic undergraduates is about to intensify. That’s the case even when those students fail to achieve their expected grades. Institutions continue to face increasing unpredictability concerning the number of incoming international students. Unfortunately, recent years have seen a drop in these numbers. Universities are keen to bring local talent on board as domestic tuition fee in-take is capped. They depend heavily on higher fee income from foreign students.
Next week students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be receiving their A-level and other level-three results. UCAS cites that universities have issued record numbers of offers this academic year. This trend often leads to increased rates of admission. The total number of 18-year-olds from the UK applying to university has soared by 13% to 328,390. This increase is a promising indicator of the vibrancy of graduate education!
Dr. Saxton emphasized the importance of filling undergraduate spots, stating, “It’s a really, really good year to be a UK-domiciled 18-year-old that wants to go to one of our world-class universities.” Nick Hillman, Director of the Higher Education Policy Institute, often echoes this sentiment. He focused on the idea, unexpected from a university president, that universities are scrambling to pack their courses in the name of financial pressures.
It means that tuition fees for new entrants for the 2025-26 academic year will rise by 3.1% from £9,250 to £9,535 for home students from England and Wales. We welcome the increase in the maximum maintenance loan for students living away from their parents’ home outside London. It currently is £10,544 per year, an increase from £10,227. The adjustments to maintenance loans enable students to borrow more for everyday living expenses, a welcome change for those concerned about rising costs.
The landscape for overseas students is shifting. With international enrollment numbers declining, institutions are counting more on the revenue—tuition—these students bring in. As we reported back in May, the Office for Students sounded the alarm. They found that over 40% of colleges expect to operate at a deficit by summer. Against such financial pressure, it becomes more important than ever to fill these courses from the universities’ perspective.
Vivienne Stern, Chief Executive of Universities UK, remarked on the competitive nature among institutions: “Universities are certainly competitive with one another,” adding that this environment provides applicants with “lots of choice.” Such uncertainty remains this week, as over 3,600 of these courses have been opened to discussion at 17 selective Russell Group universities. Over 22,600 vacancies for undergraduates, too—from England only!
Dr Saxton is predicting “a slightly fewer” clearing vacancies this year. She’s confident this will be the case, as an increasing number of students are accepting their offers. This competitive environment among universities has opened up incredible opportunities for industry engagement for institutions. It provides would-be students a dizzying array of choices for their postsecondary adventure.
Nick Hillman highlighted the urgency created by financial factors: “The financial plight of universities makes them very keen to fill their courses and they will be falling over themselves to sign up good potential students.” This dynamic will become the story of the new academic year. Institutions will become adept at navigating uncertainties surrounding international enrollment and place greater emphasis on the needs and experiences of domestic students.
