More disadvantaged students in Scotland but target ‘challenging’

Students from Scotland’s most deprived neighbourhoods are progressing into higher education in greater numbers, and increasingly choosing to continue with their course after their first year of study.

New analysis by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) shows in 2024-25, 17.4 per cent of full-time university entrants studying for their first degree were from the 20 per cent most deprived areas in the country, up from 16.7 per cent the year prior. The figure is the highest recorded as part of the SFC’s annual Report on Widening Access.

However the report warns Scotland may miss its next access target, which aims to ensure 18 per cent of all full-time, first-degree entrants to university come from the 20 per cent of most deprived areas by 2026.  

This is seen as an interim target as the country builds towards its overall goal of achieving 20 per cent by 2030.

Early entrance figures show meeting the aim for this year will “become more challenging”. Preliminary indicators from the SFC’s early access return, which has not been published, suggest this cohort may decrease slightly for 2025-26 entrants, while initial results by admissions service Ucas expect the proportion will be largely unchanged.

The tenth iteration of the SFC findings show the retention rate for those coming from the most disadvantaged areas has improved – with 91.7 per cent of full-time, first-degree students to enter university in 2023-24 returning for their second year of learning, a rise of 2.2 percentage points.

Meanwhile, the number of students entering higher education who had some experience of care also hit a record level, making up 2.8 per cent of all entrants, or a total of 2,285 people to go to college or university in 2024-25.

This means that for a decade the proportion of care-experienced people going on to higher education has increased. Financial support has been available to such students in Scotland for higher and further education since 2017-18 and 2018-19, respectively.

In addition, retention rates for those who have experienced the care system are also showing signs of “strong recovery”, the SFC research notes, after a Covid-related dip: though the “persistence of cost-of-living pressures” goes some way to explaining why that improvement is partial, not total.

Participation by disabled students meanwhile reached a new high, with more than a quarter (25.5 per cent) of Scottish-domiciled full-time first degree entrants declaring a disability in 2024-25, the highest proportion recorded.

The findings are released in the same week Scotland celebrates a record number of its young people securing places at university or college, with the pass rate for all of the country’s exams increasing.

Francesca Osowska, chief executive of the SFC, said the latest data demonstrated “encouraging progress” on widening access ambitions.

“It is particularly positive to see retention rates improving for students from the most deprived parts of Scotland, care experienced students and disabled students, showing that more learners are not only accessing higher education but staying on through their studies,” Osowska said.

“As we work towards future widening access targets, this report highlights the commitment across Scotland’s colleges and universities to ensure learners from all backgrounds have the opportunity to succeed and fulfil their potential.”

John McKendrick, Scotland’s Commissioner for Fair Access, said the latest figures showed universities were “doing well but could do better” and there was “scope for more progress”.

“Facilitating fair access to higher education remains in the national interest,” said McKendrick, also a professor at Glasgow Caledonian University.

“Recent political Interest in improving the outcomes of our most disadvantaged through technical education and training is to be welcomed. However, this should not be facilitated or encouraged at the expense of higher education.

“We need to increase fair access to higher education to ensure that the potential of more individuals from Scotland’s most deprived areas is fully realised.”

georgia.luckhurst@timeshighereducation.com