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Introduction
Statistics on Students in Higher Education ( HE) at Scottish Institutions 2005-06 are published today on the Scottish Executive website. This release contains updates of the figures in the Students in Higher Education in Scotland, 2004-05 News Release, published on 3 rd May 2006. Some of the tables in this release have been improved to reflect feedback from users of the statistics (see note 4 of notes to news editors). The release contains information on HE provision in higher education institutions ( HEIs) as well as further education colleges ( FECs) in Scotland. The figures include distance learning students enrolled at Scottish institutions, which may involve the provision of education through one or more of the following: teaching staff from Scottish institutions delivering programmes abroad; Scottish HEIs teaching at campuses abroad as well as the use of electronic learning programmes provided by Scottish HEIs. Figures on students of the Open University in Scotland are excluded from the tables except where stated.
The main points are as follows:
- In 2005-06 there were, in total, 285,180 HE students at Scottish HEIs and FECs, an increase of 3% since 2004-05; study at HEIs increased whereas fewer students were enrolled on HE courses at colleges. 82% of students studied at HEIs, 18% at FECs in 2005-06. Student numbers have increased by 10% since 1999-00 (table 1).
- The proportion studying at postgraduate level was 23% (64,965), an increase of 4 percentage points since 1999-00. The corresponding change was a 3 percentage point increase for students studying first degrees while the number studying below degree level has fallen by 7 percentage points - this decrease is attributed to FECs (table 1).
- 18% (51,140) of students at Scottish institutions were overseas students, an increase of 2,995 since 2004-05. 71% of these were from non-European countries. Of overseas countries China uses Scottish education the most and numbers have increased by 300 since 2004-05 to 5,170 students studying through Scottish HEIs in 2005-06 - accounting for 10% of all overseas students. An increasing number of students from India are choosing to study through Scottish institutions, 3,820 - an increase of 45% since 2004-05 †. 64% of non-European entrants at Scottish HEIs were studying at postgraduate level (tables 13 and 14).
- 54% of students were aged under 25. 79% of first degree students fell into this category, while the majority (53%) of post graduate students were aged 25-39. The proportion of students studying below degree level was greatest amongst those aged 21 and under (table 3).
- There were more female students (160,765) in Scottish HE than males (124,415). The gender gap has widened since 1999-00, but has stabilised in the last year. (table 2).
- 18,590 students studied for the whole of their programme to date outside of the UK (table 1). 87% of all students studying outside of the UK were studying business administration courses †.
- The number of students studying business administration courses has increased by 10% (5,490) since 2004-05 † to 58,485 - this is largely due to Heriot-Watt University which saw an increase of 5,246 business administration students. 65% of the 8,475 increase in student numbers is attributed to students of business administration courses (tables 1 and 4).
- With respect to specific subject science courses have seen a 1% decrease in student numbers since 2004-05 as a result of a 12% decrease in sub-degree level study (postgraduate and first degree level study of science subjects as a whole were up 7% and 3% respectively since 2004-05) †. In percentage terms the drop was noticeable in mathematics where there was a 12% (405) drop,. Other changes include: a 9% increase in law students; an 11% increase in language students; and a 9% decrease in mass communication † (table 4).
- The number of students entering HE courses showed similar trends as the overall number of students at HE courses. Entrants have increased by 3% to 142,190 since 2004-05, a rise of 7% since 1999-00. 46% of entrants are in programmes of study below degree level, a decrease of 4 percentage points since 2004-05 (table 5).
- Gender preferences for courses have remained stable † with courses allied to Medicine attracting the greatest proportion of female entrants (85%) and engineering and technology courses attracting the greatest proportion of male entrants (87%) (table 6).
- The number of students declaring a disability has risen by 900 since 2004-05 but the proportion has remained at 6% †. 41% of these reported suffering from dyslexia (table 10).
- Entrants to HE from deprived areas of Scotland are over-represented in colleges by 2 percentage points and under-represented at all classes of universities. This is most noticeable in specialised and ancient universities (table 11).
- 235,965 Scottish domiciled students currently follow an HE course at an institution anywhere in the UK, 222,400 at Scottish institutions (including 13,955 at The Open University), 12,550 in England and 230 in Northern Ireland and 790 in Wales, including HE students at colleges (table 15).
- There are 21,145 English, 5,195 Northern Irish, 650 Welsh students currently studying at Scottish HEIs, representing increases in English and Welsh students of 5% and 4% respectively since 2004-05 and a decrease in Northern Irish students of 3% over the same period (table 13) †.
From academic year 2007-08 changes will be made to the way in which student data is collected, consequently the Scottish Executive will change the way in which we define 'students'. Included in this publication (page 21) is an outline of the proposed changes for comment.
Footnote
† refers to information from the Scottish Executive publication 'Students in Higher Education at Scottish Institutions' 2004-05. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/113430/0027482.pdf
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