Figures confirm record numbers missed out on a university place last summer

The figures, from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), revealed that 210,022 people, nearly one in three who applied, did not get a place at university in 2010. In total 697,351 people applied and 487,329 (69.9%) were accepted. In the previous year just one in four people were unsuccessful when 639,860 people applied and 481,854 (75.3%) were accepted.
 
All the increase in accepted applicants in 2010 was in non-UK domiciled students. In 2010 there was no change in the number of accepted applicants domiciled in England; there was a 7.6% fall in Welsh-domiciled accepted applicants; a 3.9% rise in Scottish-domiciled applicants; and a 0.7% fall in Northern Ireland-domiciled accepted applicants.
 
Overall, UK-domiciled accepted applicants fell by 0.1%. However, accepted applicants from Ireland rose 6.0%, those from other EU countries rose 7.8% and non-EU domiciled accepted applicants rose 12.4%.
 
Responding to the figures, UCU general secretary Sally Hunt, said: 'Record numbers of students missed out on a university place because the government refused to fund sufficient places and that trend is set to continue this summer. After the government axed the education maintenance allowance yesterday, today's figures are a reminder of the rationing of opportunity at higher education level as well.
 
'The foreign market is a lucrative one for UK universities and these figures suggest that UK students are now disproportionately missing out on places. Our reputation for quality is one reason so many foreign students want to study here. However, we run a very real risk of undermining our international standing through the government's cuts to university funding.'
 
More on the UCAS figures can be found here.