6th August 2013 9:00
By Blue Tutors
The university and colleges admissions service UCAS has released data which shows that white teenagers are now less likely to apply for university than teenagers from any other ethnic group. The research revealed that fewer than three out of ten 18 year olds have applied for degree courses in Autumn, while applications from black students have increased significantly since 2006. In 2006 26% of applications received by UCAS were from black students, a figure which has risen to 34% this year. The data also shows that applications from women have risen by a third this year, with women 29% more likely to apply than men.
UCAS receive applications for undergraduate courses of about 44% of young people in England each year, with students from England’s wealthiest areas 4.3 more times as likely to apply to the top universities as students from the poorest areas. Although there remains a considerable gap between the richest and poorest students, the figures show that there has been a drop in the number of applications to top universities from the wealthiest areas. In 2004, the wealthiest students were 6 times more likely to apply to top institutions than their counterparts from poorer areas. Students from London are still more likely than those from any other area to apply for university, with 42% of 18 year olds applying for a degree this year. The north-east has the lowest application rate, with 31% applying this year.
The area showing the most improvement is the north-west, which has seen a significant rise in applications from young people, rising from 26% in 2004 to 35% this year. In their statement, UCAS said that they were pleased with the figures, and said that they showed that the gap between the country’s wealthiest and poorest students was closing. Chief Executive Mary Cook said that people from disadvantaged backgrounds were applying at record levels. The rise in applications from black students is a positive indication that universities are succeeding in their efforts to attract applications from students from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds.