Master’s degrees outnumber undergraduate awards for first time

Last year UK universities awarded more taught postgraduate degrees than undergraduate degrees for the first time on record, new data shows.

Institutions awarded 467,765 taught master’s degrees in 2023-24 on the back of a 15 per cent year-on-year increase, compared with 465,240 first degrees, which increased by only 5 per cent, according to figures released by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (Hesa).

The number of taught postgraduate degrees awarded annually has increased 67.3 per cent since 2019-20, when the total stood at 279,575, according to the Hesa statistics.

Much of the growth has been driven by international students, with cash-strapped universities keen to capitalise on the lucrative fees paid by overseas postgraduates.

Among all full-time postgraduate students in 2023-24, 68 per cent were from countries outside the UK and European Union, with domestic recruits representing 29 per cent of the total, and EU nationals 4 per cent.

In contrast, undergraduate enrolment is 84 per cent domestic, with 3 per cent from the EU and 13 per cent from further afield.

Total higher education enrolments stood at 2.9 million in 2023-24, down 1 per cent year-on-year. New enrolments on taught postgraduate degrees decreased 6 per cent, reflecting the impact of the ban on most master’s students from overseas bringing dependants with them.

Undergraduate recruitment was down 1 per cent, while postgraduate research recruitment increased 4 per cent.

Qualification awards in 2022-23 were affected by a marking and assessment boycott conducted by members of the University and College Union, which could go some way towards explaining the spike seen in 2023-24.

The Hesa release also confirms that 29 per cent of undergraduate finishers were awarded a first-class degree in 2023-24, down on 30 per cent the year before, and a third successive drop since the Covid-era peak of 36 per cent in 2020-21.

The proportion of graduates awarded a 2:1 or 2:2 degree held steady at 48 per cent and 20 per cent respectively.

chris.havergal@timeshighereducation.com