Wales only UK nation to see fall in university and college applications

WALES is the only UK nation to see a fall in university and college applications this year, official admissions data released today reveals.

- ABBIE WIGHTWICK Education editor

Figures published by admissions service UCAS show an increase in the number of applicants from all nations in the UK, except for Wales, which has seen a decline of 0.6%.

The number of applicants from England, Scotland and Northern Ireland has increased by 1.1%, 1.3% and 1.5% respectively.

As well as an overall drop in applications from Wales, numbers of 18-year-olds applying have fallen.

There is also bad news for university and college coffers, with a slight fall in total numbers of applications to universities in Wales, compared with last year.

Numbers of applications from higher-paying international students alone are also down in Wales, compared with a rise for the UK as a whole.

The offer rate from Welsh universities and colleges for applicants this year is 94.4%, a 0.1% rise.

How university and college applications from and to Wales have fallen this year:

The number of Welsh 18-year-old applicants by 30 June has reached 11,720 compared with 11,750 at the same point last year;