Department for the Economy publishes Higher Education Statistics

The Department has today published the following statistical bulletins: Enrolments at UK Higher Education Institutions: Northern Ireland Analysis 2017/18 and Qualifications gained at UK Higher Education Institutions: Northern Ireland Analysis 2017/18.

Department for the Economy publishes Higher Education Statistics

Enrolments at UK Higher Education Institutions: Northern Ireland Analysis 2017/18

This statistical bulletin provides information on the number of NI students enrolled at UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and the number of students enrolled at NI HEIs.

Key points

• Over the past decade, the number of NI students enrolled at UK HEIs increased initially, from 62,265 in 2008/09 to a peak of 65,590 in 2011/12, before falling gradually to 62,930 in 2017/18, largely related to a decline in part-time enrolments.
• Of the 62,930 NI domiciled students enrolled at UK HEIs in 2017/18, 72.3 per cent were enrolled at NI HEIs (including 5.9 per cent studying locally at the Open University) and 27.7 per cent at HEIs in GB (a 10-year high).
• In 2017/18, 49.4 per cent of NI domiciled students at UK HEIs were studying a Science, Technology, Engineering or Maths (Broad STEM) related subject and 26.8 per cent a Narrow STEM related subject.
• While there has been a 0.2 per cent (110) decrease between 2016/17 (54,570) and 2017/18 (54,460), student enrolments at NI HEIs have increased by a net 3.8 per cent (2,010) over the past decade (from 52,450 in 2008/09).
• Between 2016/17 and 2017/18, the number of first year undergraduates enrolling at NI HEIs decreased by 1.2 per cent, from 16,800 to 16,590; however, following the recent introduction of postgraduate loans, first year postgraduate enrolments increased by 12.4 per cent over this period (from 6,170 to 6,930), notably a 44.7 per cent increase in full-time Higher degree (taught) enrolments (from 1,715 to 2,480).
• Of the 54,460 students enrolled at NI HEIs in 2017/18, 83.5 per cent were from NI, 3.9 per cent from the Republic of Ireland, 5.9 per cent from GB, 0.8 per cent from other EU countries and 5.9 per cent from non-EU countries.

This document is available to download at HE Enrolments.

Qualifications gained at UK Higher Education Institutions: Northern Ireland Analysis 2017/18

This statistical bulletin provides information on Higher Education qualifications gained by students at NI HEIs and by NI domiciled students at UK HEIs.

Key points

• At 17,780, the number of qualifications gained by NI domiciled students at UK HEIs in 2017/18 has decreased by 2.5 per cent since 2016/17 (18,240).
• Almost four-fifths (78.9 per cent) of qualifications gained by NI domiciled students at UK HEIs in 2017/18 have been through full-time study, an increase of 12.1 per cent over the last 10 years (12,525 to 14,035).
• During 2017/18, 47.5 per cent of qualifications gained by NI domiciled students at UK HEIs were in a Broad STEM related subject, and 23.9 per cent in a Narrow STEM related subject.
• At 15,500, the number of qualifications gained by students from NI HEIs in 2017/18 has decreased by 4.0 per cent since 2016/17 (16,145).
• In 2017/18, 78.7 per cent of ‘first degree’ graduates from NI HEIs achieved either a first class or upper second class honours degree.
• During 2017/18, 48.5 per cent of qualifications gained by students at NI HEIs were in a Broad STEM related subject, and 23.2 per cent in a Narrow STEM related subject.
• In 2017/18, females accounted for 58.9 per cent of students gaining qualifications at NI HEIs.

This document is available to download at HE Qualifications.

Notes to editors: 

1. The statistics presented in these bulletins are based on data collected by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). HESA is the official agency for the collection of information on publicly funded Higher Education (HE) institutions in the UK.
2. The HESA data presented in these bulletins relate to students at publicly funded HE institutions in the UK and do not include HE students at Further Education (FE) colleges in NI or GB, or at institutions in the Republic of Ireland.
3. Higher Education students for the purpose of HESA's data collection are those students on courses for which the level of instruction is above that of level 3 of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) National Qualifications Framework (NQF) (for example, courses at the level of Certificate of HE and above).
4. The academic year runs from 1 August to 31 July.
5. Further notes and technical details are available in the bulletin on the Department’s website.
6. For further information, please contact the DfE Press Office on 028 9052 9604. Out of office hours please contact the Duty Press Officer on 028 9037 8110.

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