Tony Tysome finds maths and sciences surprisingly popular as number of would-be students rockets
Admissions staff this week admitted to being baffled by a sudden and unexpected surge in the popularity of core sciences, mathematics and engineering, which has helped lift the number of applications for undergraduate places across the UK by 6.4 per cent.
The latest statistics from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service on applications to join full-time degree courses, published this week, show double-figure percentage rises compared with the same time last year for physics, chemistry, mathematics, engineering and technology.
The number of applications to study many vocational subjects, including management studies, social work, business, sports science, tourism and marketing, also grew significantly.
"Softer" arts and humanities subjects, including English, drama, media studies, music, dance and fine art, have done well, too, the data reveal.
The rises helped lift the number of applications received by January 15 up to a record 395,307, compared with 371,683 last year.
Most of the increases are concentrated in English pre-92 universities, some of which have seen the number of applications rocket by as much as 40 per cent overall, and by more than that in sciences.
The number of applications for places at English institutions leapt 7.2 per cent. The rise in Scotland was a far more modest 1.9 per cent, while Wales and Northern Ireland saw almost no change.
The biggest jump in the number of applications, 7.1 per cent, came from students from England; the number applying from elsewhere in the UK is similar to last year. Among UK applicants, the number of mature students aged 21 to 24 who applied for places climbed by 11.4 per cent, compared with a 5.7 per cent rise among the under-21s.
The number of applications from abroad is up by 6.6 per cent overall. The Chinese have returned (up 1.3 per cent), while numbers from other key nations continue to grow: India (up 13.8 per cent), Singapore (9.5 per cent) and Pakistan (19.1 per cent).
News that the sector appears to have bounced back from the worrying 3.4 per cent dip in applications in 2006 has left admissions tutors elated but baffled.
Some have suggested that the sudden change in fortune is down to prospective students and their parents recognising that higher education is affordable now that payment of fees is deferred.
Others believe that the surge in the core sciences is due partly to students beginning to see such subjects as "quasi-vocational" and a route into a well-paid job.
Nick Talbot is head of biosciences at Exeter University, where the number of applications has risen by 23 per cent. He said: "There seems to be an enthusiasm for science among applicants that we have not seen for quite a few years. I guess some of it may be down to more vocational subjects being favoured following the introduction of fees."
Anthony Keeble is admissions tutor at Reading University, where the number of applications has bounced back from a 17.3 per cent drop last year to a rise of about 3 per cent this year. He said the number of applications to study science subjects at Reading had climbed by 10 per cent despite the university's high-profile closure of its physics department.
"Really, we have no idea what has happened to bring about this turnaround," he said.
GOING UP
- Tourism 30.3%
- Business 25.0%
- Vet medicine 22.4%
- Finance 20.3%
- Education 19.5%
GOING DOWN
- Anatomy 18.1%
- Info systems 9.7%
- Medical tech 8.0%
- Science/arts 7.2%
- Forensic sci 4.1%
WELSH DECLINE
Welsh vice-chancellors were putting on a brave face this week as it emerged that Wales has suffered a small drop in applications while numbers in England and Scotland have risen.
Applications both to Welsh institutions and from people living in Wales had fallen by 0.1 per cent as of January 15, compared with the same time last year.
The decline could be explained by the fact that Welsh higher education institutions will charge top-up fees from this autumn.
The Welsh Assembly Government had hoped to lessen the impact of the new fee charges by offering special grants for Welsh students who chose to study at Welsh institutions.
Course corrections
The number of applications received by Ucas as of January 15, and the percentage change compared with the previous year
Course
Number of
% change
applications
Law by area
84,860
4.90
Psychology
77,040
3.90
Pre-clinical medicine
72,469
–3.80
Management studies
62,199
11.10
English studies
55,581
7.60
Nursing
53,713
3.90
Training teachers
49,958
3.30
Business studies
46,970
1.40
Social work
46,891
14.70
History by period
45,083
1.80
Combinations within business and admin studies
45,061
25.00
Sports science
44,209
10.60
Drama
41,2
10.60
Combinations of social studies/bus/law with arts/humanities
41,150
6.40
Computer science
40,656
0.60
Combinations of languages with arts/humanities
39,397
4.90
Economics
37,974
12.80
Design studies
37,140
10.70
Mathematics
33,790
10.00
Others in subjects allied to medicine
31,912
10.90
Combinations of science/engineering with arts/humanities/languages
29,132
15.20
Accounting
26,9
2.70
Pharmacology, toxicology and pharmacy
26,543
9.40
Combinations of science/engineering with
social studies/business/law with social studies/business/law
26,026
2.10
Anatomy, physiology and pathology
25,282
–18.10
Politics
23,693
8.40
Architecture
23,432
8.60
Biology
23,367
6.00
Mechanical engineering
22,835
9.80
Media studies
21,539
5.70
Music
21,281
9.90
Chemistry
20,786
11.30
Cinematics and photography
20,531
11.60
Sociology
19,990
7.40
Physical & terrestrial geog & env sci
19,342
5.50
Physics
19,140
12.20
Combinations of soc studies/law with business
19,058
12.90
Civil engineering
18,605
13.00
Academic studies in education
17,518
19.50
Combinations of phys/math science with social studies/bus/law
17,509
9.50
Electronic and electrical engineering
16,697
0.20
Marketing
16,011
14.00
Combinations of arts/humanities
15,830
–0.40
Combinations of social studies/bus/law with languages
15,532
10.30
Combinations of three subjects, or other general courses
15,441
9.60
Combinations within social studies
15,372
5.40
Human and social geography
14,921
3.10
Building
13,170
16.10
Combinations of med/bio/agric sciences
12,562
18.60
Tourism, transport and travel
12,371
30.30
Molecular biology, biophysics & biochem
12,299
7.40
Pre-clinical dentistry
11,045
3.10
Combinations of soc studies/law
10,798
11.90
Combinations within European langs, lit and related
10,534
1.10
Combinations within creative arts and design
10,444
17.10
Journalism
10,177
7.90
Information systems
10,0
–9.70
Fine art
9,703
10.50
Others in law
9,605
8.70
Aerospace engineering
9,572
3.00
Combinations of phys/math science with arts/humanities/languages
9,026
–7.20
Medical technology
8,969
–8.00
Combinations of languages
8,770
9.90
Philosophy
8,633
4.10
General engineering
8,238
8.00
Combinations within mathematical & computer sci
7,698
15.80
Combinations within hist & philosophical studies
7,507
2.80
Chemical, process and energy engineering
7,378
16.80
Forensic and archaeological science
7,152
–4.10
Aural and oral sciences
6,913
0.50
Pre-clinical veterinary medicine
6,704
22.40
Geology
6,321
8.70
Zoology
6,154
11.60
History by topic
6,021
9.20
Dance
5,884
10.80
Nutrition
5,831
13.90
Combinations of sciences with engineering/technol
5,794
2.10
Theology and religious studies
5,650
7.60
Combinations within mass comms & documentation
5,626
6.20
Finance
5,545
20.30
Classical studies
5,519
1.40
Combinations of med/bio/agric sci with phys/math sci
5,497
3.30
Others in technology
5,063
13.10