UCAS and SMCPC have recently published their annual reports. You may find the following highlights of interest:
- 532,300 applicants got admitted in higher education through UCAS (up by 3.9 per cent).
- Acceptances from EU increased by 11 per cent while those from outside of EU increased by 1.9 per cent.
- Pupils in the White ethnic group had the lowest entry rate in 2015 (28 per cent) which also reflected the lowest increase.
- The entry rate for disadvantaged 18 years olds in England (POLAR3, quintile 1) increased by 0.7 percentage point to 18.5 per cent. However, the rate of growth is lower when compared with recent cycles.
- 18 year olds who had received free school meals became 7.5 per cent more likely to enter HE with their entry rate increasing to 16.4 per cent (up 1.1 percentage points)
- Rates of progress to widen participation appear to have slowed compared to last year.
- There is some interesting data about regional differences in access agreement spent.
- SMCPC discusses persistent poverty and chronic lack of social mobility (echoing a report from early this year about “glass floors”).
- There is a big focus on vocational/non-graduates (as well as on employability more broadly).
