More than 40,000 decline university places to enrol elsewhere

More than 40,000 applicants have turned down “firm” places at UK universities to find a place on another course, according to the sector admissions service.

Rising use of the “decline my place” option had been flagged by Ucas as a significant trend ahead of A-level results day, contributing to increasing use of clearing – as well as changing perceptions, with what was once seen as a last-chance saloon now regarded as an opportunity to trade up as well as down, with places at several Russell Group campuses up for grabs.

Data released by Ucas on 18 September shows that 42,320 applicants have declined firm places this year, and there are signs that this has contributed to the hard times for the least selective universities in this admissions cycle.

Most students using decline my place stayed within the same provider group – 30 per cent were released by a higher-tariff university to find a place at another higher-tariff provider, while 36 per cent went from lower-tariff to lower-tariff institution.

However, 22 per cent were released from a lower-tariff provider to secure a place at a medium-tariff institution, and 6 per cent went from lower-tariff to higher-tariff.

Highly selective universities moved swiftly to confirm their firm applicants as results were released, mindful that this recruitment cycle is likely to prove critical as the financial pressures on the UK sector increase.

The new Ucas data shows that these institutions have now enrolled 175,690 students this summer, up 7.8 per cent on 2023. In contrast, recruitment at medium-tariff universities is down 0.5 per cent, to 162,310, and the intake for lower-tariff providers has shrunk 4.4 per cent to 168,690.

The figures have prompted some sector leaders to call for the reintroduction of student number controls to ensure that enrolments are shared more equitably.

In total, 498,340 students have been accepted, up 0.9 per cent year-on-year but down from the 2020 peak of 515,650. Growth has been driven by a 2.8 per cent increase in enrolment of UK-domiciled 18-year-olds, now standing at 277,790. But mature acceptances – of UK-domiciled students aged 21 and over – are down 3.3 per cent to 64,180, while international enrolment is down 0.6 per cent, now totalling 61,470.

All of the largest international markets recorded declines in enrolment, with recruitment from China down 1.9 per cent, India down 3.8 per cent, Hong Kong down 6.3 per cent, and the European Union down 0.8 per cent.

In an interview with Times Higher Education published earlier this week, Ucas’ chief executive Jo Saxton said that increased use of clearing and decline my place was a reflection of “students exercising the agency that they have in a marketised system”.

She said that she was planning further improvements to clearing, seeking a “third way” between the traditional pre-results application window and proponents of a post-qualification admissions alternative.

In 2023 37,780 students used decline my place, meaning there has been a 12.1 per cent increase this year.

Commenting on the latest figures, Dr Saxton said it was “good to see higher education remains a popular choice”.

“This year we have seen a small increase in the number of students getting a place at university, driven by a rise in the number of UK 18-year-olds. At the same time, the figures show there are challenges with mature and international acceptances,” she said.

“There has also been a high number of applicants using clearing, with students seemingly motivated by plenty of choice this cycle, giving [them] the opportunity to pursue an alternative option they may not have previously considered or thought was out of reach.”

chris.havergal@timeshighereducation.com