University admissions

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

There have been more winners than losers since domestic student recruitment was uncapped in England. But without better stewardship, all institutions must do what they can to swing the market in their favour, regardless of national priorities or local needs, say David Maguire and Alex Bols

Cross-party committee calls for higher household income threshold for maximum student support loans as more struggle to afford university

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

Many universities already factor school violence records into admissions ahead of nationwide roll-out but scholars fear move reinforces inequalities

Link between higher education and higher earnings weakens across many OECD countries, showing need to strengthen alternative options

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

Focus on traditional subjects at GCSE level has not helped pupils get into top universities, says Becky Francis’ report on school curriculum

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

Test scores are a much better predictor of academic progress than school grades – and students need a realistic assessment, says David Blobaum 

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

Future crises can be averted if government and universities share data and plans in a more timely and transparent fashion, says Doug Specht

WhatsApp a winner, ‘mystery shopping’ study reveals, as universities ‘sharpen their interactions’ with would-be students

PQA has been repeatedly rejected in recent decades, but with this year seeing another record number of students placed via the clearing system, is it being adopted by default? And would a wholesale switch address equity concerns or lower-tariff institutions’ recruitment woes? Juliette Rowsell reports

Mass departure of students from top institutions in favour of medical degrees stokes concerns about future talent pipelines in other subjects

Some ‘scholarships’ advertised by UK universities contingent on grades or ‘ambassadorial duties’, with others applied automatically to all

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 

International students feel marketisation has brought easier admissions but lower teaching standards at prestigious British universities, finds new study

Some institutions report ‘steep decline’ in activity since results day as intakes lag below expectations

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

Six US institutions adopt online module that promises to assess civil discourse of potential students but scholars sceptical it will improve campus debate

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

Universities turn to advertising, freebies and unconditional offers to attract students, with large numbers expected to change their mind post-results

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

Enrolments drop by a fifth in a year after business school opts to close programmes in response to government squeeze on undergraduate intake

Universities encouraged to offer language degrees to students with no prior experience as low uptake in schools creates pipeline problems

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

Students who have previously been safeguarded progress to university in ‘vanishingly low’ numbers, highlights Sheffield initiative

Current enrolment rates are increasingly misaligned with NHS capacity for clinical placements, never mind graduate recruitment, says Ruth Pearce

Using money raised from international fees could help support most disadvantaged to attend university, finds inquiry

Record number of ethnic minority students accepted and largest annual increase in non-state school students in 15 years

More students accepted into prestigious university, but numbers coming from maintained schools return to 2020 levels after ‘period of rapid growth’

Lower-tariff institutions could face another difficult recruitment season as number of offers made by universities rises

Solutions begin with flexible study policies for students who need a few extra days because mum had a health scare before their essay deadline, says Holly Cobb

Research intensive universities to adopt ‘consistent’ language to help applicants ‘make better informed decisions’ as part of new plan to tackle education inequality

Attempt to harmonise tests across country seen as way of mitigating unfair advantages but critics argue more systemic changes are needed

We need careful, systematic overhaul and the taking of responsibility not just by universities but also by local and national government, says Ellen Wright

Doncaster focus groups find widespread scepticism that cost of a degree will be outweighed by career benefits

Current widening participation approach not working, say academics, as rural villages and coastal towns revealed as areas with lowest levels of progression to universities

Those admitted to elite UK universities with lower entry requirements still performed well academically, analysis suggests

Students recruited from surrounding areas outnumbered by international applicants at 22 institutions

English universities encouraged to adopt more consistent approach that is easier to navigate after criticism from inequality watchdog

Impact of cost-saving measures the first question being raised at open days, report academics at under-fire institutions

Three-quarters of teachers in the capital predict at least half their class will go into higher education, according to new polling

The country tends to shun the extremes and our access policies have generally helped harness talent and to build a cohesive society, says Merlin Crossley

Marketing highlighting exemptions to UK visa rules under scrutiny in Home Office amid warnings that regulations could be extended

Teaching and nursing enrolments surge as students seek ‘safer’ career paths in an uncertain and expensive world

Politicians pushing STEM courses ‘would be well advised to acknowledge that at present student demand is doing their work for them’, says Hepi report

Charity says Ucas data adds to case for extending home fee status to displaced applicants

Sutton Trust warns applicants with disadvantaged upbringings can find application process particularly complex and challenging

Fall in student numbers driven by lower birth rates, with smaller universities tipped to struggle

One year on from publication of the Universities Accord, Justin Bokor says the funding needed to support equity student success is simply not there

No one has yet cracked high-touch, low-cost business learning, but efforts are under way, says Julian Birkinshaw

Ucas figures show that a record proportion of students applied to higher-tariff institutions

School pupils need better information on their post-16 options to avoid the risk of narrowing their university and career choices, says Hepi report

Capital comfortably outperforms rest of England on higher education access, but progress is stalling and there are significant intra-regional differences, warns report

These are undoubtedly turbulent times, but the figures suggest that the sector is in relatively good health, say Eileen Strempel and Stephen Handel