Transparency return 2019 applications data

Just under 2.12 million applications for courses starting in 2018-19 were submitted to providers across the sector. Of these, 94 per cent were for full-time study, 5.0 per cent were for part-time study and 0.9 per cent for study as part of an apprenticeship.

Of almost 479,000 registrations to the courses applied for, 82.9 percent were for full-time study, 14.0 per cent for part-time study and 3.1 per cent for study for a recognised higher education award as part of an apprenticeship.

Just under one-fifth (19.9 per cent) of all applications submitted across the sector to begin full-time study in 2018-19 led to registrations. For part-time study, 62.9 per cent of all applications led to registrations.

Almost three quarters (73.9 per cent) of applications submitted to the sector to study for a recognised undergraduate higher education award as part of an apprenticeship led to registrations.

White applicants submitted most applications to the sector (62.3 per cent) to begin study in 2018-19. Black applicants submitted 8.5 per cent of all applications.

White applicants also accounted for most entrant registrations in 2018-19 across the sector (70.1 per cent). Black applicants accounted for 8.8 per cent of all registrations.

25.5 per cent of applications from white applicants led to registrations and 23.3 per cent of applications from black applicants led to registrations.

Female applicants accounted for most applications and registrations (56.9 per cent) to begin study in 2018-19 across the sector. Male applicants accounted for 43.0 per cent of all applications and registrations.

For both male and female applicants, 22.6 percent of applications for beginning study in 2018-19 led to registrations.

Of all applications submitted to providers across the sector to begin study in 2018-19, 20.7 per cent were from applicants with home addresses in the least deprived areas (EIMD 2015 quintile 5 areas). Applicants with home addresses in the most deprived areas (EIMD 2015 quintile 1 areas) submitted 19.2 per cent of all applications.

Of all registrations to providers across the sector to begin study in 2018-19, 19.8 per cent were for applicants with home addresses in the most deprived areas. Applicants with home addresses in the least deprived areas accounted for 19.5 per cent of registrations.

For applications from applicants with home addresses in the most deprived areas, 23.4 per cent led to registrations, whereas 21.4 per cent of applications from applicants from the least deprived areas led to registrations.

Over one-third (34.7 per cent) of all applications to begin study in 2018-19 were submitted to high average tariff providers. FECs and other providers received the lowest proportion of applications (6.1 per cent). Please note other providers are those that have not been classified as specialist, FEC or high/medium/low average tariff.

Registrations at medium average tariff providers accounted for 27.6 per cent of all registrations to begin study in 2018-19. High tariff providers entrant registrations accounted for 23.3 per cent of all sector registrations. Both specialist providers and FECs and other providers each accounted for around 12.0 per cent of all registrations.

Of all applications made to FECs and other providers, 43.9 per cent led to registrations, whereas 15.2 per cent applications made to high tariff providers led to registrations.

For more information on the transparency information see our regulatory advice.

We have published further details and instructions for providers on submitting the applications data.

The applications data was collected from higher education providers registered with the OfS on or before 3 June 2019 (362 providers, referred to as the sector).

The applications data collected related to:

• the number of applications that a provider received from UK-domiciled applicants for admission on to courses starting in 2018-19 that would lead to a recognised undergraduate higher education award
• the number of offers made by the provider in relation to those applications
• the number of those offers accepted
• the number of those accepted offers that led to a registration.

The applications data were collected by mode of study of the course being applied for (full-time, part-time and study as part of an apprenticeship), and by the following characteristics of the applicant associated with an application:

• the gender of the applicant
• their ethnicity
• their socioeconomic background, in the form of the English Index of Multiple Deprivation 2015 (EIMD) quintile of their home address.