Key Findings:
Institutions:
Students:
1. In 2007-08 there were 272,625 students in Higher Education ( HE) in Scotland. This represents a fall of 6,935 students (or 2.5 per cent) since 2006-07. During the same time the number of students in HE in England increased by 9,255 (0.5 per cent) from 1,887,190 in 2006-07 to 1,896,440 in 2007-08. The number of students in Wales fell by 2,155 (1.6 per cent) from 134,800 to 132,645 whilst the number in Northern Ireland fell by 460 (0.9 per cent) from 52,615 to 52,160.
2. The largest fall in the number of students in HE occurred amongst those doing 'Other Higher Education', falling 4,580 (or 8.5 per cent) from 54,160 in 2006-07 to 49,580 in 2007-08. The number of students doing 'First Degrees' (the most common level of study) fell by a much lower amount, dropping by 1,480 (or 1.1 per cent) from 133,740 in 2006-07 to 132,260 in 2007-08. 'Research Postgraduate' was the only level of study to witness an increase in student numbers over the past year, rising by 255 (or 2.7 per cent) from 9,360 students in 2006-07 to 9,615 in 2007-08 ( Table 1).
3. The number of students in Higher Education Institutions ( HEIs) fell by 5,245 (or 2.3 per cent) from 230,100 in 2006-07 to 224,855 in 2007-08 (this represents the first decline in student numbers at Scottish HEIs since 2000-01, though still above 2005-06 levels). At the same time the number of students participating in HE in Colleges also fell, by 1,690 (or 3.4 per cent) from 49,460 in 2006-07 to 47,770 in 2007-08 (the number of students in HE courses at Scottish colleges has been declining since 2000-01). The majority of the decrease in student numbers (63.1%) at HEIs is accounted for by a 3,935 fall in sub-degree level enrolments.
HEIs account for 82.5 per cent of all students enrolled in Scottish HE in 2007-08, with the remaining 17.5 per cent doing HE in a college. Nearly all those doing HE at a college (98.1 per cent) were studying at the sub-degree level, whilst a majority of those at HEIs (58.5 per cent) were studying at the 'First Degree' level ( Table 1).
4. Whilst the total number of students doing HE at HEIs fell by 5,245 (or 2.3 per cent) between 2006-07 and 2007-08, the change by institution was much more varied. Some HEIs witnessed a sharper than average fall in student numbers, for example Strathclyde University (down 9.0 per cent), St Andrews University (down 5.9 per cent) and Stirling University (down 5.7 per cent). Despite the overall fall in student numbers, some HEIs witnessed an increase in student numbers between 2006-07 and 2007-08, such as; UHI (up 10.6 per cent) Aberdeen University (up 4.4 per cent) and Heriot-Watt University (up 6 per cent) ( Table 2).
The colleges that saw the sharpest fall in enrolments since 2006-07 were Borders College with a drop of 26.3%, Cumbernauld College (23.2%) and Coatbridge College (21.6%). However some colleges had a large increase in enrolments, Banff and Buchan College of Further Education had an increase in enrolments of 49.6% on 2006-07, John Wheatley College (29.2%, though from a small base of 120 students) and Adam Smith College with an increase of 14.8% ( Table 3).
5. Of the 272,625 students enrolled in HE in Scotland in 2007-08, over three-quarters (209,170 or 76.7 per cent) were Scottish domiciled ( i.e. living in Scotland prior to study). 8.0 per cent (21,940 students) were English domiciled. Beyond the United Kingdom ( UK), a further 7.8 per cent (21,250 students) were domiciled outwith Europe, 4.6 per cent (12,670 students) were domiciled within the European Union ( EU) and 0.4 per cent (1,195 students) were domiciled within Non EU-Europe. Altogether 12.9 per cent (35,165 students including 55 non- EU students whose domicile was unknown) of those enrolled in HE in Scotland in 2007-08 lived outwith the UK prior to study ( Table 14).
6. The number of Scottish domiciled students doing HE in Scotland in 2007-08 fell by 7,865 (or 3.6 per cent) from 217,035 in 2006-07 to 209,170 in 2007-08. The number of international students (outwith Europe) also decreased, by 640 (or 2.9 per cent) from 21,890 to 21,250. The number of English domiciled students doing HE in Scotland increased by 780 (or 3.7 per cent) from 21,160 to 21,940 similar increases were seen among students domiciled within the EU (excluding the UK), up by 600 (or 5.0 per cent) from 12,070 to 12,670 ( Table 14).
Entrants:
7. The number of entrants to HE courses decreased by 4,965 (or 3.5 per cent) from 142,460 in 2006-07 to 137,495 in 2007-08. This fall in entrant levels was slightly larger than the fall in overall enrolment numbers (which was down 2.5 per cent) as increased student numbers from previous years remained in the system reducing the impact of the decrease in entrants. The number of entrants in 2007-08 remains slightly above that in 1999-00 (an increase of 1,670 or 1.2 per cent) ( Table 9) and at a similar level to 2005-06 (137,565). The proportion of entrants to HE that come from the 20 per cent most deprived areas of Scotland increased slightly from 15.0% in 2006-07 to 15.2% in 2007-08 (19.5 per cent of the working age population live in the 20% most deprived areas of Scotland). Entrants from deprived areas remain over-represented in Scotland's colleges (21.9 per cent) and under-represented amongst Scotland's ancient Universities (8.0 per cent) ( table 17). This analysis uses the 2006 Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation ( SIMD). Updated statistics using the 2009 SIMD will be published along with the release of the new SIMD on the 29 th October 2009.
8. Since 1999-00 there has been a decrease in the proportion of entrants to HE courses at sub-degree level and an increase in the proportions studying at First Degree and Postgraduate level. In 1999-00 over half (59.1 per cent) of entrants studied at sub-degree level whilst 26.4 per cent were entering first degree level courses and the remaining 14.5 per cent for 'Postgraduate' studies. By 2007-08 there were 66,510 entrants to HE courses (or 48.4 per cent) at the sub-degree level, whilst there were 42,965 entrants (31.2 per cent) entering at First Degree level and 27,920 (20.3 per cent) entering at the Postgraduate level. Between 2006-07 and 2007-08 the number of entrants to sub-degree and postgraduate study fell by 4,165 (5.9 per cent) and 1,085 (3.7 per cent) respectively. The number entering into First Degree level study remained broadly unchanged (up 185 or 0.4 per cent) ( Table 10).
9. The number of Scottish domiciled HE entrants to Scottish institutions decreased by 4,735 (or 4.2 per cent) from 112,910 in 2006-07 to 108,175 in 2007-08. The proportion of entrants to HE in Scotland that were Scottish domiciled continued to decline slightly at 78.7 per cent in 2007-08 (down from 79.3 per cent in 2006-07 and 84.3 per cent in 1999-00). During this time the number of students entering HE in Scotland from outwith Scotland has continued to grow, both in numbers and proportions (from 21,330 and 15.7 per cent of all entrants in 1999-00 to 29,320 and 21.3 per cent of all entrants in 2007-08). ( Table 15). A very small proportion of entrants (485 or 0.4 per cent had an unknown domicile prior to study).
Student Characteristics:
10. Almost every age group witnessed a fall in student numbers between 2006-07 and 2007-08 with the exception of those aged 25 to 29 and over 60 (which both saw small increases). Whilst the number of people enrolled in HE decreased by 2.5 per cent overall, the fall was sharper amongst those aged 40 to 49 (down 1,645 or 5.3 per cent from 31,105 in 2006-07 to 29,460 in 2007-08) and 30 to 39 (down 2,015 or 4.8 per cent from 42,110 in 2006-07 to 40,095 in 2007-08). The decrease in the number of students in HE aged 16-20 was less than the overall average at 1.6 per cent (1,485 students), dropping from 96,155 in 2006-07 to 94,670 in 2007-08 ( Table 6)
11. A majority of those in HE in Scotland in 2007-08 were female (56.6 per cent or 154,375). 43.4 per cent or 118,250 students were male. In 1999-00 the gender split amongst students was 55.0 per cent female to 45.0 per cent male. It then grew steadily larger to 57.8 per cent female to 42.2 per cent male by 2005-06. Since then it has narrowed slightly. The decrease in students in HE levels between 2006-07 and 2007-08 was much sharper amongst females (falling 5,385 or 3.4 per cent) than males (falling 1,545 or 1.3 per cent) ( Table 5).
12. The HE courses in Scotland with the largest number of students in 2007-08 were in Business Administration with 42,935 enrolled. Subjects allied to medicine were the second most common with 33,200 students participating in 2007-08. Changes in the number of students on each HE course between 2006-07 and 2007-08 were variable. There was a 16 per cent decrease in the number of students doing Information Technology courses, falling 2,345 from 14,675 in 2006-07 to 12,330 in 2007-8. At the same time the number of students doing Humanities courses increased by 21.0 per cent from 8,650 in 2006-07 to 10,465 in 2007-08 (a rise of 1,815 students) ( Table 7.1).
13. The number of students in HE in Scotland declaring a disability in 2007-08 was 18,755 (6.9 per cent of all HE students). Of those students 4,960 or 26.4 per cent were known to be in receipt of Disabled Student's Allowance ( DSA). A specific learning difficulty e.g. dyslexia was the most common disability declared (7,370 students or 39.2 per cent of those declaring a disability).
14. With respect to ethnicity, students who declared their ethnicity to be white constituted 83.4 per cent of all students. Students from an Asian - Chinese background were the second largest ethnic group with 1.8 per cent of the total and those from an Asian - Indian background were the third largest ethnic group with 1.7 per cent of all students. First degree was the most common level of study for all ethnic groups apart from Asian - Indian, Black - African and Black - Other where taught postgraduate was the most common level of study. The ethnic group that saw the largest increase in entrants to HE since 1999-00 was Black - African. In 2007-08 there was more than 4.5 times as many entrants than 1999-00.
Cross Border Flows:
14. Scotland remains an importer of students with more students domiciled from outwith Scotland studying HE here than leaving Scotland to study HE elsewhere in the UK (statistics aren't held on the numbers of students domiciled in Scotland studying HE overseas). In 2007-08, almost 12,000 students domiciled in Scotland were studying HE in the rest of the UK (11,155 in England, 690 in Wales and 130 in Northern Ireland). ( Table 12). At the same time over twice as many students (over 27,000) were domiciled from the rest of the UK and studying HE in Scotland (21,940 from England, 685 from Wales and 4,865 from Northern Ireland) ( table 13.2).
Overseas Students:
15. In 2007-08 there were 35,170 overseas students enrolled in HE courses at Scottish HEIs and Colleges. These students were domiciled out with the UK before participating in Scottish Higher Education. ( Table 13.2). There has been little change (a decrease of 85 enrolments or 0.2 per cent) since 2006-07 when there were 35,250 enrolments from overseas students. The majority (60.4 per cent or 21,250) of those students in 2007-08 came from out with Europe with China (4,725 students), India (3,815 students) and the United States of America (2,665 students) being the most common domicile of overseas students. Of those students domiciled within Europe (and out with the UK) before coming to study HE in Scotland, the most common countries of domicile were the Republic of Ireland (2,850 students), Germany (1,800 students) and France (1,680 students) ( Table 13.2).
Distance Learners:
16. The number of distance learning students has increased by 2,195 (7.2 per cent) since 2006-07 from 30,445 to 32,640. The majority of this increase was from the rise of 1,745 (18.3 per cent) in the number of postgraduate distance learning students from 9,550 in 2006-07 to 11,295 in 2007-08. At first degree level 61.5 per cent of distance learners were female and 38.5 per cent were male. The gender gap was similar for other undergraduate study with 61.2 per cent female compared to 38.8 per cent male. However at postgraduate level male distance learners accounted for the majority with 55.7 per cent of the enrolments compared to females at 44.3 per cent.
Age Participation Index:
17. The Age Participation Index ( API) for Scotland was 43.2 per cent for 2007-08. This is a decrease of 2.9 per cent on the previous year (46.1 per cent). The API reached 54.1 per cent in 2000-01 and apart from an increase of 0.9 per cent in 2005-06 has decreased every year to 2007-08.
18. Participation by females has typically been around 10 per cent higher than for males. In 2007-08 the gender gap was 12.9 per cent, the highest it has been in the period from 1999-00 to 2007-08. The API for males was 36.9 per cent, a drop of 3.6 per cent on the previous year and for females the API was 49.8 per cent a drop of 2.2 per cent.
19. The participation rate at First Degree level was 25.4 per cent, a decrease of 1.6 per cent on the previous year (27.0 per cent). At Sub-Degree level participation was 17.8 per cent, down by 1.3 per cent on 2006-07 (19.1 per cent).
20. The majority of the decrease in the API is due to a 2.3 per cent decrease in initial participation at Higher Education Institutions ( HEIs). This has dropped from 28.8 per cent in 2006-07 to 26.5 per cent in 2007-08. Participation in colleges dropped by 0.6 per cent in the same period (from 15.5 per cent to 14.9 per cent. For HEIs in the rest of the UK participation has remained stable at 1.8 per cent.
21. population of 17 year olds increased over the year from 2006-07 and this contributed to the drop in the API. However in absolute terms, the number of students expected to participate in HE before their 21 st birthday has also dropped from 29,680 in 2006-07 to 28,265 in 2007-08.