Universities in Wales are experiencing a drop in applications from undergraduate and mature students.
Newly released figures from UCAS, published on 13th February, showed a continuation in the falling rate of applications to Welsh universities from both undergraduate and mature students.
Downward trends in continued studies
Wales has the lowest number of sixth-form students applying, with just 33.2% doing so this year. The combined figure for all UK countries is 40.6%. In addition, the rate of applications from mature students is the lowest for a decade. 1
This is not happening in isolation however, according to Universities Wales, as there is a similar drop in students staying in education after the age of 16. In England, 47% of students study for A-levels, yet just 33% do so in Wales. 1
The figures are part of a concerning trend which has wider implications for Wales’s public services and economy – as well as young people’s life chances.
Cash injection for HE
On 18th February, the Welsh Government allocated £500,000 to the sector to use to focus on attracting more international students – and £18.5 million to be divided between the country’s nine universities to plug the gaps in their finances caused by a lack of applications and static fees, reported Wales Online. 2
Read more here from Universities Wales
References
- Universities Wales (2025) ‘Welsh applications to university continue to fall’. Available at: https://uniswales.ac.uk/welsh-applications-university-continue-fall (Accessed: 19 February 2025)
- Wales Online (2025) Universities in Wales given £18.5m government handout amid ‘significant financial challenges’. Available at: https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/education/universities-wales-given-185m-government-31028634 (Accessed: 19 February 2025)
