University enrolment rates across England and London, have declined after a ten year steady increase across females and males, according to data from HESA.
London specifically has seen a slight decline in student enrolment as compared to the steady increase that spanned across ten years from the academic years 2014/15 to 2022/23.
The total enrolment for 2022/23 was 544,045, which dropped to the 542,630 in the 2023/24, representing a 0.03% decrease.
In 2023/24, female enrolment declined while male enrolment only marginally increased.
Female rates still remain higher than males, but their decrease is evident of a more significant fall in university enrolment – when female rates dropped, the male increase in enrolment did not make up the numbers to maintain a steady incline.
The start of the Covid-19 pandemic saw a series of significant yearly increases in university enrolment across both genders, continued to rise steadily up until 2023/24.
According to data provided by HESA, University enrolment rates in London increased by over 10,000 reaching as many as 436,975 in 2019/20 and grew even further in the following year to 485,755.
Whereas the female enrolment rate was 255,440 in 2019/20, and males 180,485, the following year of the pandemic the numbers grew to 283,140 females and 201,200 males.
Tanisha Zaman, 19, from London, a second year student at University College London, said she always wanted to go to University, but the pandemic severely affected her high school education which impacted her choice of University.
She said: “I wanted to aim for a top university, and luckily there were many close to home in London.
“I love UCL. The location is great, there’s always so much to do with amenities like shops on Oxford street just a walk away.”
When asked how the pandemic impacted her schooling, she explained that Covid had no bearing on whether or not she would attend university, rather the particular institution she would go to.
Zaman cited the cost of living crisis as a major factor in her decision of university and her particular lifestyle, as along with a growing number of other UK students, she has decided to live at home during her studies.
She said: “Perhaps I would have moved out if the cost of living wasn’t so high, but I’d rather sacrifice my independence than take out large loans with even higher interest rates.”
On top of this, London has since dropped to third place this year as the most student-friendly city, breaking its streak of being number one for six consecutive years, according to data from QS Best Student Cities rankings.
During the period in which it was first place, London had seen a steady increase in university enrolment across both the female and male population until 2023/24 when female enrolment decreased.
The recent decrease in female enrolment in London’s universities is representative of changes across England, with enrolment for females in the whole of England declining from 1,370,190 in 2022/23 to 1,358,355 in 2023/24.
Vivienne Stern MBE, Chief Executive of Universities UK, said in Universities UK media release: “The reality for most universities is that they have to make serious cuts.
“Falling per-student funding, visa changes which have decreased international enrolments, and a longstanding failure of research grants to cover costs are creating huge pressure in all four nations of the UK.
“Our universities are something the UK can be genuinely proud of. They contribute over a quarter of a trillion pounds to the economy each year and are essential to the Government’s growth ambitions and the UK’s future economic success. We need them to be firing on all cylinders.”
The same decrease is reflected in student enrolments across the whole country in the most recent years worth of data, 2023/2024 being 2,408,415, down from 2,423,010 in 2022/2023, a 0.6% decrease.
In the year that the pandemic hit, the number of university enrolments in England was 2,257,990.
Katie Pughe-Morgan, a first year student at Exeter, always knew she wanted to attend university.
Following her experience attending school during the peak of the pandemic, she expressed that attending university was a vital step for maturing young people.
She said: “I did always plan on going to university because I always thought it was a good place to figure out a career path and develop in the fundamentals of the maturing process.
“Covid really impacted my schooling experience. It was also much more difficult to learn via zoom and not have the same one on one discussions with my teachers.
“I also felt like I was quite behind socially, having had to go months without seeing any of my friends.”
Both interviewees expressed concerns about their schooling experiences after Covid, and noted that having attended University, they see a development in their growth.
Despite the pandemic’s clear disruption of academic education, many aspiring students like Zaman and Pughe-Morgan will still choose to go to university.
However, as the cost of living continues to rise, students seem to be making more careful choices regarding further education, that will no doubt impact those choosing to study in the UK’s most expensive city.
Image Credit: Madigan Gallagher
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