Department publishes Northern Ireland Analysis of 2015/16 enrolments and qualifications at UK Higher Education Institutions
Date published:
The Department for the Economy has today published two statistical bulletins:
Enrolments at UK Higher Education Institutions: Northern Ireland Analysis 2015/16 and Qualifications gained at UK Higher Education Institutions: Northern Ireland Analysis 2015/16.

The Enrolments at UK Higher Education Institutions: Northern Ireland Analysis 2015/16 statistical bulletin provides information on the number of Northern Ireland students enrolled at UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and the number of students enrolled at Northern Ireland HEIs.
Key points:
- Over the past decade, the number of Northern Ireland (NI) students enrolled at UK HEIs increased initially, from 63,015 in 2006/07 to a peak of 65,590 in 2011/12, before declining to 63,600 in 2015/16.
- Of the 63,600 NI students enrolled at UK HEIs in 2015/16, 74.1% were enrolled at NI HEIs (including 5.9% studying locally at the Open University) and 25.9% at HEIs in GB.
- In 2015/16, 48.1% of NI domiciled students at UK HEIs were studying a Science, Technology, Engineering or Maths (Broad STEM) related subject and 26.5% a Narrow STEM related subject.
- Despite a 2.1% (1,200) decrease between 2014/15 (56,445) and 2015/16 (55,245), student enrolments at NI HEIs have increased by a net 5.0% (2,625) over the past decade (from 52,615 in 2006/07).
- Between 2014/15 and 2015/16, the number of first year undergraduates enrolling at NI HEIs decreased by 7.2%, from 18,585 to 17,250; a 14.2% decrease in full-time enrolments (from 11,490 to 9,855) was partially offset by a 4.3% increase in part-time enrolments (from 7,095 to 7,395).
- Of the 55,245 students enrolled at NI HEIs in 2015/16, 85.4% were from NI, 4.0% from the Republic of Ireland, 5.3% from GB, 0.7% from other EU countries and 4.7% from non-EU countries.
This document is available to download from the Department’s website
Qualifications gained at UK Higher Education Institutions: Northern Ireland Analysis 2015/16
The Qualifications gained at UK Higher Education Institutions: Northern Ireland Analysis 2015/16 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 18,160, the number of qualifications gained by NI domiciled students from UK HEIs in 2015/16 has remained stable for the third successive year (18,065 in 2014/15 and 18,150 in 2013/14).
- Three-quarters (75.2%) of NI domiciled ‘first degree’ graduates from UK HEIs achieved either a first class or upper second class honours degree in 2015/16.
- During 2015/16, 46.4% of qualifications gained by NI domiciled students at UK HEIs were in a Broad STEM related subject and 22.9% in a Narrow STEM related subject.
- At 15,940, the number of qualifications gained by students from NI HEIs in 2015/16 has remained stable for the third successive year (16,010 in 2014/15 and 15,910 in 2013/14).
- In 2015/16, 74.4% of ‘first degree’ graduates from NI HEIs achieved either a first class or upper second class honours degree.
- During 2015/16, 46.9% of qualifications gained by students at NI HEIs were in a Broad STEM related subject and 22.8% in a Narrow STEM related subject.
This document is available to download from the Department’s website
Notes to editors:
- The statistics presented in this bulletin 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.
- The HESA data presented in this bulletin relate to students at HE institutions in NI and do not include HE students at Further Education (FE) colleges in NI or GB, or at institutions in the Republic of Ireland.
- 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).
- The academic year runs from 1st August to 31st July.
- Further notes and technical details are available in the bulletin on the Department’s website.
- For further information, please contact the DfE Press Office on 028 9052 9604.