13 February 2025

In its applicant data for the January Equal Consideration deadline, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service revealed that the proportion of 18-year-olds from Wales applying to UK universities has continued to fall. This is alongside a decline in applications from mature students in Wales.  

  • Wales has the lowest proportion of 18 year-olds applying for university in the UK.
  • Just 32% of Welsh 18-year-olds have applied to university this year compared to 33.2% last year. This is particularly concerning when compared to the UK as a whole, where the figure stands at 40.6%.
  • The figures show a widening participation gap between the least and most advantaged students in Wales. The proportion of 18-year-olds applying from WIMD Q1 has decreased to 20.1%, while those from Q5 has increased by 0.3%. Disadvantaged students in Wales are also less likely to access university, compared to other parts of the UK
  • Applications from mature students in Wales have also continued to decline, particularly in the 25-34 age group. Wales now has the fewest numbers of mature students applying to university than at any point in the past decade. 

If unaddressed, this decline in people attending university will have long-term implications for the future prosperity of the nation and the opportunities available to today’s students and future generations. 

Universities Wales highlighted concerns around falling participation rates in its evidence to the Senedd’s Children Young People and Education Committee’s recent inquiry into routes into post-16 education and training. 

And it goes beyond university, with Wales seeing an alarming fall in people staying in full-time post-16 education. A-Level participation rates in Wales are significantly lower than in England, with just 33% of young people studying A-levels compared to 47% in England. Fewer 16-year-olds undertaking A-Levels means fewer students moving into higher education and obtaining the higher-skilled jobs that Wales’ economy will need to thrive.

It also means that individuals are losing out on the transformational benefits a university education can provide – including a significant boost to salary, employment levels and lifelong career prospects. This is particularly concerning in light of the widening participation gap between the least and most advantaged, as the data shows that the benefits of university are especially strong for people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Universities Wales Director, Amanda Wilkinson, said:

“There is now clear and consistent evidence that fewer people in Wales are engaging with education beyond the compulsory age of 16 - and fewer going to university than at any point in the past decade. 

“This is a concerning situation which will have long term implications for Wales. The industries that will drive our economic growth in the decades to come rely heavily on graduates. If Welsh people are not gaining these skills, Wales’ economy will find itself at an economic disadvantage compared to the rest of the UK, where the proportion of graduates in the workforce will be higher. 

“But it’s not just our economy and public services that will be affected. It will also result in a lack of opportunities for the people who would benefit from the transformative experience on offer at university. This stark issue presents the very real possibility that future generations of young people in Wales will be less qualified than those that have gone before them.”

Universities Wales is calling for urgent action from Welsh Government and Medr to address this participation crisis. This includes boosting the numbers of young people undertaking qualifications and training that open up access to the higher-level skills that Wales needs for the future.   

Ms Wilkinson added: 

“It is crucial that Welsh Government and Medr work to understand how to improve and support Welsh participation in post-16 education to secure opportunities for today's students and future generations.