First figures for 2007 entry

31 October 2006

The first figures from UCAS for the 15 October early closing date on the number of applicants for 2007 entry to full-time UK undergraduate courses show that applicants to Oxford and Cambridge universities are up by 4.3%, an increase of 1,153 from 26,665 last year to 27,818 this year.

The number of applicants to dentistry courses has risen by 7.0% from 2,911 to 3,114. The increase has been particularly noticeable amongst women, with rises of 11.7% for women from the UK.

Veterinary medicine and science have also recorded increases, 25.8% in total from 1,474 to 1,855. Again, the trend is most marked amongst women from the UK, with an increase of 31.8% from 924 to 1,218.

People applying from outside the UK, for all courses and universities, are currently up by 3.6%, China remains the biggest contributing country from outside the EU. The number of applicants from China has increased by 7.2% on last year.

Anthony McClaran, Chief Executive of UCAS said: "On balance, these first figures for 2007 entry are encouraging. The increase in students applying to Oxbridge, dentistry and the veterinary sciences may be an early indication that the underlying growth of HE in the UK is set to continue."

"The rise in applications from countries such as China also shows that, in a very competitive market place, the UK continues to be an attractive destination for foreign students."

"But no-one in higher education will be complacent - the effort to communicate the benefits of HE to the widest pool of potential students continues."

"We are particularly pleased to able to release these figures earlier than usual due to the overwhelming majority of applications now being made online. In turn this has meant we have been able to process these early applications in record time."

When considering the number of people applying to all courses/institutions there are some modest fluctuations with the overall total up by 0.2%. Those from the UK are down by 0.6% or 309 applicants. The deadline for applications to all other courses is 15 January. However, universities and colleges may accept applications after this date.

UCAS is the universities and colleges' organisation responsible for managing applications to full-time higher education courses in the UK.

Table 1
Applicants through UCAS to Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary medicine/science by 15th October by area of permanent residence and gender.

Applicants

U.K.

E.U. excluding (U.K.)

Men

Women

Total

Men

Women

Total

Medicine

2007

6,774

8,748

15,522

615

1,006

1,621

2006

7,051

8,910

15,961

613

988

1,601

% change

-3.93%

-1.82%

-2.75%

0.33%

1.82%

1.25%

Difference

-277

-162

-439

2

18

20

Applicants

Other Overseas

All

Men

Women

Total

Men

Women

Total

Medicine

2007

822

1,029

1,851

8,211

10,783

18,994

2006

928

1,069

1,997

8,592

10,967

19,559

% change

-11.42%

-3.74%

-7.31%

-4.43%

-1.68%

-2.89%

Difference

-106

-40

-146

-381

-184

-565

Applicants

U.K.

E.U. excluding (U.K.)

Men

Women

Total

Men

Women

Total

Dentistry

2007

1,224

1,463

2,687

83

114

197

2006

1,154

1,310

2,464

74

121

195

% change

6.07%

11.68%

9.05%

12.16%

-5.79%

1.03%

Difference

70

153

223

9

-7

2

Applicants

Other Overseas

All

Men

Women

Total

Men

Women

Total

Dentistry

2007

106

124

230

1,413

1,701

3,114

2006

111

141

252

1,339

1,572

2,911

% change

-4.50%

-12.06%

-8.73%

5.53%

8.21%

6.97%

Difference

-5

-17

-22

74

129

203

Applicants

U.K.

E.U. excluding (U.K.)

Men

Women

Total

Men

Women

Total

Veterinary
medicine/
science

2007

328

1,218

1,546

41

178

219

2006

275

924

1,199

52

163

215

% change

19.27%

31.82%

28.94%

-21.15%

9.20%

1.86%

Difference

53

294

347

-11

15

4

Applicants

Other Overseas

All

Men

Women

Total

Men

Women

Total

Veterinary
medicine/
science

2007

14

76

90

383

1,472

1,855

2006

11

49

60

338

1,136

1,474

% change

27.27%

55.10%

50.00%

13.31%

29.58%

25.85%

Difference

3

27

30

45

336

381

Within each category, a single applicant count is allocated to each applicant who has one or more of his choices to a course falling within such category. Applicants who have choices falling in two or more categories will be reported as a single applicant in each category to which he has applied.

Table 2
The number of overseas* domiciled applicants by 15 October; by entry cycle, overseas area of domicile (specified only if more than 200 applicants within the 2007 cycle).

Country

2007

2006

Percentage change

Ireland

887

948

-6.4%

China

791

738

7.2%

Hong Kong

774

673

15.0%

United States of America

758

690

9.9%

Malaysia

704

701

0.4%

Germany

692

630

9.8%

Singapore

571

552

3.4%

Canada

398

362

9.9%

Poland

392

305

28.5%

Sweden

372

353

5.4%

France

366

320

14.4%

Cyprus

317

306

3.6%

India

300

279

7.5%

Pakistan

258

268

-3.7%

Italy

233

215

8.4%

Nigeria

204

470

-56.6%

All overseas

11,845

11,434

3.6%

* includes EU countries.

Table 3
Applicants through UCAS by 15th October by area of permanent residence and gender.

Applicants

U.K.

E.U. excluding (U.K.)

Men

Women

Total

Men

Women

Total

2007

21,348

26,790

48,138

2,044

2,656

4,700

2006

21,292

27,155

48,447

1,913

2,481

4,394

% change

0.26%

-1.34%

-0.64%

6.85%

7.05%

6.96%

Difference

56

-365

-309

131

175

306

Applicants

Other Overseas

All
Men

 Women

 Total

 Men

 Women

 Total

2007

3,457

3,688

7,145

26,849

33,134

59,983

2006

3,484

3,556

7,040

26,689

33,192

59,881

% change

-0.77%

3.71%

1.49%

0.60%

-0.17%

0.17%

Difference

-27

132

105

160

-58

102

Notes to editors

  1. Universities and colleges guarantee to consider all applications received by the specified closing date. These are 15 October for the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, medicine, dentistry and veterinary science/medicine; and 15 January for all other applicants from the UK and EU. Applications received later than these dates are considered at the university or college's discretion.

  2. Applicants to Oxford or Cambridge can only apply for one course at either Oxford or Cambridge. They cannot apply to both universities unless they already have a degree (or will have one by September 2007).

  3. 'Applicants' are those applying to higher education through the UCAS scheme (i.e. those submitting a UCAS application form to at least one degree, foundation degree, DipHE or HND/C course at a UCAS member institution).

  4. 'Applications' - each applicant may apply to up to six different courses/institutions, but only four of those applications can be to medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine/science.

  5. Further information on the application process and further statistics can be found on the UCAS website www.ucas.com

  6. Comparisons are with 15 October 2005, the same point in last year's application cycle.

Press contact

Chris Dry, Head of Communications
Tel: 01242 544601
Email: communications@ucas.ac.uk
Mobile: 07768 740 461