Student recruitment and admissions

Narendra Modi’s centralisation of power means that his government takes all of the blame when things go wrong. The success of the cockroach movement reflects how the Indian youth’s hopes for a better future have become inextricably tied to a deeply flawed system of national examinations, writes Saikat Majumdar

Country projected to lose another quarter of first-year entrants in 16 years, with international students unlikely to fill the gaps

Higher- and medium-tariff institutions perform best as decrease in students accepting firm offers drives more to consider their options

Expansion of cohorts lower than expected after higher-tariff institutions become more selective ‘at the last minute’

Entry rate for 18-year-olds dips slightly and proportion heading to first-choice university also down on A-level results day

Arrival of generative artificial intelligence and aggressive recruitment tactics by UK universities show why post-qualifications admissions must finally be implemented, says Gianina Harvey-Brewin

Ucas chief says students may have reduced options this year but ‘number changing on a daily basis’

Students from lower socio-economic backgrounds missing out on places despite meeting entry requirements

Country could miss goal of ensuring 18 per cent of new entrants come from most deprived backgrounds despite recent progress, report warns

Tens of thousands of applicants will have to redo tests after anomalies in entrance exam scores at National Autonomous University of Mexico

Figures from multiple data sets suggest country will struggle to meet its accord target of 80 per cent tertiary participation

New tool allows prospective students to compare transport, food and accommodation costs in more than 100 cities and towns across the UK

Universities make 100,000 more offers than last year as they compete for domestic students, Ucas figures show

Universities UK guidance released in tandem with Sutton Trust report finding ‘good evidence’ approach can widen access without lowering standards

Higher-tariff institutions expected to recruit larger share of students but providers across the board report strong application figures 

Joining up school and employer networks will help students decide what education option is ‘right’ for them, says v-c

ETS acquires ACT as universities adopt more flexible approaches to standardised testing requirements

Introducing language requirements for whole sector undermines government’s widening access mission, universities say

Elite universities continue to see slow progress on widening participation measures, with proportion of disadvantaged students down compared with start of decade

Staff and students who would once have picked North America looking to Europe for stability and freedom, according to leading business school dean

‘Perfectly good’ institutions ‘may fail’ without curbs on recruitment being reintroduced, report argues, ahead of expected dip in youth population

Research finds collegiate model adds to complex application processes and may be harming institutions’ widening participation efforts

Universities told to engage potential students before they write off higher education as ‘not for them’

Graduation rates less than half of enrolment figures as institutions face ‘considerable dropout issue’, Unesco warns

Coordinated social media campaigns portraying capital city as unsafe pose problems for institutions trying to attract students

Rain or excessive heat during campus tour season found to have measurable impact on whether students are likely to apply

Guaranteed places may be ‘irresistible’ to UK students but unlikely to be in their best interests long term, warn experts

Risk of fraud ‘not evenly distributed’, with those pushing fake certificates and embellished grades finding new ways to mask wrongdoing

Admissions service considers reducing number of institutions to which students can apply, or doing away with ‘insurance’ choice, but wants more digital, post-results process first

‘Flexibility’ on testing in UK system ‘may worry government’ after review finds large variety of methods used to examine language skills

Ucas January data show specialist institutions losing out as higher tariffs continue to grow, with proportion of ‘commuter students’ reaching nearly half

University to adopt tests used by other leading institutions, spelling end to complex system of internally administered exams

Half of Russell Group universities accept record number of undergraduates, according to end-of-cycle admissions figures

Big cut in enrolments seen as way of modernising country’s universities but some warn further changes are needed to stop students lingering for years

‘No change’ in widening participation policy, says Trinity Hall, after plans to target students from Eton and Winchester leak

Spain, Italy, Germany and France rivalling traditional destinations such as Australia and Canada as recruitment patterns shift

Admissions chief fears rising number of commuter students could limit access to courses for those from poorest backgrounds

Restrictions on international intake and decline in domestic school-leavers see undergraduate enrolments shrink

First post-Covid increase in early undergraduate applications among mature students shows adults are rethinking their options in times of economic crisis

Allocation of 9,500 extra places will boost capacity in a system where demand can be fickle

Increase in applicants across almost all age groups raises hopes for bumper year of admissions, as interest in medical degrees recovers

Most prospective students have at least three countries in the frame, survey finds

Financial strains and the emergence of digital testing have led to concerns that anglophone universities are admitting students whose English is not good enough to allow them to succeed. But are tests really becoming less rigorous – or are universities setting pass rates that are too low? Helen Packer reports 

Trump transparency drive strips complex decisions of their context, scholars warn, amid fears directive will hit minority student numbers

Number of students placed on courses on day one the highest since records began, with direct to clearing route also seeing unprecedented interest

Record number of applicants brings temporary relief to under-pressure institutions, but issues of ‘systematic underfunding’ remain

Rising demand from 18-year-old applicants drives up entry rate, with two-fifths of cohort set to enter most selective institutions

Applicants are returning to previously researched options instead of seeing clearing as opportunity to ‘trade up’, says Ucas chief executive

Proportion of young people planning to attend university full-time has fallen to just over half, survey suggests

Pass rate in Scottish Higher exams nudges up but overall applications dip slightly owing to decline in older learners

New figures show university progression gap between London and the rest of the country widening, as ministers plan interventions in coming White Paper

Two institutions enrol almost 40 per cent of all students from poorer regions as intake drops at other universities

Number of 18-year-olds applying to university reaches new high but anticipated drop in top A-level grades adds to uncertainty ahead of clearing period