Scottish Government

Students in Higher Education at Scottish Institutions 2004-05

3rd May 2006

Statistics on Students in Higher Education at Scottish Institutions 2004-05 are published today on the Scottish Executive website. This release contains updates of the figures in the Students in Higher Education in Scotland, 2003-04 News Release, published on 11th May 2005. 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. Distance learning students enrolled at Scottish institutions are included in the figures. Figures on students of the Open University in Scotland are contained in a separate table.

The main points are as follows:

• In 2004-05, there were 276,705 higher education students at Scottish institutions, an increase of 1.8 per cent on the previous year. This number is 6.7 per cent higher than the corresponding number of students in Scotland in 1999-00.
• In 2004-05, 81 per cent of higher education students studied in Higher Education Institutions while 19 per cent studied in Further Education Colleges.
• Between 1999-00 and 2004-05, the number of female higher education students increased by 11 per cent to 156,615. Over the same period the number of male higher education students increased by only 1.4 per cent to 120,090.
• In 2004/05, the number of higher education students aged 25+ as a proportion of all higher education students was 45 per cent; postgraduate and sub degree students tend to be older whereas 80% of first degree students are under 25.
• There were 138,645 entrants to HE at Scottish institutions ( HEIs and FECs) in 2004/05, a similar level to the previous year. The numbers of entrants to first degree courses fell by 4 percent in 2004-05, to 42,530. This ended the steady increase seen between 1998-99 and 2003-04, but is still 17 per cent higher than 1999-00.

• The number of Scottish domiciled entrants to HE at Scottish institutions fell by 2 per cent between 2003/04 and 2004/05, while the number of entrants from other parts of the UK also fell by 2 percent over this period. These losses were offset by a 15 per cent increase in entrants from outside the UK (particularly outside Europe), resulting in the total number of entrants being virtually unchanged since 2003-04.
• In 2004/05, the number of Scots studying at HEIs elsewhere in the UK was 13,100 while the number of students enrolled at Scottish HEIs from elsewhere in the UK was 26,040.
• Of foreign countries, China uses Scottish higher education most, with 4,870 students in 2004/05.
• Subjects allied to medicine and the veterinary medicine course are most popular with women (85% and 75% of entrants, respectively), whereas Engineering and Information Technology are most popular with men (90% and 76% of entrants, respectively).
• Of the 15,185 students who stated that they had a disability, 39 per cent suffered from dyslexia; altogether 6 per cent of all students stated that they had a disability.

The following tables and charts are available on the Scottish Executive Statistics Website: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/bulletins/00501

Tables
Table 1: HE students at Scottish institutions, by institution type and level of study: 1996-97 to 2004-05
Table 2: HE students at Scottish institutions, by mode and gender: 1998-99 to 2004-05
Table 3: HE students at Scottish institutions, by age and level: 1998-99 to 2004-05
Table 4: HE students at Scottish institutions, by subject and level: 2004-05
Table 5: Entrants to HE at Scottish institutions, by level: 1998-99 to 2004-05
Table 6: Entrants to HE at Scottish institutions, by level, subject and gender: 2004-05
Table 7: HE students at Scottish HEIs, by institution: 1999-00, 2003-04 and 2004-05
Table 8: HE students at Scottish FECs, by institution: 1999-00, 2003-04 and 2004-05
Table 9: Students at the Open University in Scotland, by level of study: 1998-99 to 2004-05
Table 10: HE students at Scottish institutions, by receipt of disablement allowance ( DSA) and disability type: 2004-05
Table 11: Distance learning HE students at Scottish institutions, by age, gender and level: 2004-05
Table 12: HE students at Scottish HEIs and FECs, by domicile and location of study: 2004-05
Table 13: Entrants to HE at Scottish institutions, by domicile and level: 1998-99 to 2004-05
Table 14: Scottish domiciled students at HEIs in the UK, by country of institution and level of study: 2004-05
Table 15: Scottish domiciled first degree entrants to HEIs in the UK, by country of institution: 2004-05

Charts
Chart 1: Students in higher education: 1996-97 to 2004-05
Chart 2: Entrants to HE at Scottish institutions, by gender & subject: 2004-05
Chart 3: Entrants to HE at Scottish institutions, by domicile: 2004-05

Notes to News Editors

1. These statistics are collected by the Higher Education Statistics Agency ( HESA) from Higher Education Institutions ( HEIs) and, for data prior to 1998-99, by the (former) Scottish Office Education and Industry Department ( SOEID) from Further Education Colleges ( FECs). The Scottish Further Education Funding Council ( SFEFC) has the responsibility to collect data from FECs - from the academic year 1998-99 onwards.
2. This news release contains information on students from both FECs and HEIs who are attending Higher Education courses in Scotland. Higher Education courses are defined as those at HND/ HNC level and above.
3. This release gives data for a number of years to allow trends to be identified more easily. In doing this, some data have been re-classified, and so may no longer agree with previously published data. Where this is the case, this news release should be assumed to supersede any previous publications.
4. Tables 12 and 13 in this year's release each bring together data for HEIs and FECs, previously reported in separate tables.
5. This is a National Statistics publication. National Statistics are produced to high professional standards set out in the National Statistics Code of Practice. They undergo regular quality assurance reviews to ensure that they meet customer needs. They are produced free from any political interference.

This news release, together with associated tables listed above, is published on the Scottish Executive website http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/bulletins/00501 those who do not have access to the Internet, please contact Gerhard Mors. See details below.

For media enquiries please contact:

Stuart Lewis
Scottish Executive
Press Office
Tel. (0141) 244 2682

For further information, non-media enquiries and comments on this publication, please contact:

Tel. (0141) 242 5488
Fax. (0141) 242 5579
E-mail.fhestatistics@scotland.gsi.gov.uk