Thousands fewer join Yorkshire universities after fees increase

New Ucas figures show 26,855 fewer applications were made to the 10 universities in the region for September 2012 compared with the previous year.

A higher education boss in the region warned that the figures did not show the full extent of the decline in numbers faced by universities as many students have been accepted but not enrolled.

The university system has undergone a radical overhaul with tuition fees almost trebling and changes to the way students are recruited with institutions having their quotas cut but given the freedom to take on an unlimited number who achieved two As and a B or better at A-level.

Universities also had to hand back a certain proportion of their places, which were then bid for by institutions that kept their fees to £7,500 or less.

Students applying for courses in 2012 were the first to face tuition fees of up to £9,000-a-year.

There had been a major surge in applications in 2011 with a drop in those taking gap years in order to avoid facing this academic year’s higher fees.

Leeds Metropolitan University had the largest drop in acceptances in 2012, according to the Ucas data. In 2011 the university accepted 8,084 candidates but in 2012 this fell by 1,819 to 6,265.

According to the data published by Ucas yesterday, Sheffield Hallam had the biggest drop in applications in the region falling from 50,596 in 2011 to 41,737 in 2012. It accepted 786 fewer students falling from 8,211 in 2011 to 7,425 in 2012.

But the university told the Yorkshire Post those figures did not include non-Ucas students and data provided earlier this week, showing it had recruited more than 8,700 students and filled its places, was correct. A spokeswoman added: “We did meet our quota.”

Almost half of the UK’s top universities took on fewer students last year. In total, 10 out of 24 Russell Group institutions, considered among the leading universities in the country, had fewer accepted applicants in 2012. An analysis of the Ucas data reveals that among Russell Group universities, Birmingham, Imperial College London, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, Queen Mary, Sheffield, Southampton and Warwick all accepted fewer students.

The number of people applying to Leeds University fell by 3,099 and the number of acceptances dropped by 416.

Sheffield had 2,504 fewer applicants and 486 fewer acceptances.

However York accepted 48 more students in 2012 than a year earlier. Elsewhere in the region Bradford accepted 629 fewer students, Hull accepted 524 less and Leeds Trinity accepted 85 less.

York St John saw an increase in applicants of almost 1,000 and accepted an extra 146 students compared with 2011/12. It was the 
only university in the Yorkshire region to see an increase in applications.

Huddersfield had a decline in applications with 23,428 this academic year compared with 24,148 in 2011. However it accepted 96 more students in 2012 – 4,962 compared with 4,866 in 2011.

Overall, there were 51,000 fewer accepted applicants in England alone, compared with the previous year, the figures show.

A university boss from Yorkshire, who asked to remain anonymous, said the overall picture was worse than this as some students who had been accepted had not enrolled.

Universities were told this week how many places they will be given for the 2013/14 academic year although these figures will not be published until later in the year.

From 2013 universities will be able to take on an unlimited number of students who achieved one A and two Bs at A-level.