“This increase demonstrates the positive impact of the ongoing implementation of the Diamond Review recommendations which are supporting more people of all ages and backgrounds to study higher education.

"We are also pleased to see that, despite a sustained demographic dip in the number of 18 year olds, the number of students enrolling at universities in Wales increased this year and with a higher percentage increase than the UK as a whole.

“Higher education in Wales continues to focus on what makes universities in Wales different from elsewhere.  For the second year in a row, we have the UK’s highest student satisfaction figures.  The most recent Research Excellence Framework found Wales to have the highest proportion of world-leading research in terms of impact in the UK and we also have the UK’s highest rate of graduate start-up businesses which will be crucial to the future economic success of Wales.”