More students than ever accepted for university places

With more students than ever passing their A-levels and no caps on Universities accepting students, the demand for Student Housing has been pushed to new heights.

Universities Minister Jo Johnson, said: “These results indicate record numbers of students will be heading to university in the autumn, including a record level from disadvantaged backgrounds and more taking up science, engineering and maths based courses”.

The statistics also revealed a growing proportion of disadvantaged students heading to university, with a 4 per cent rise in the number accepted on to degree courses.

Students considering using the UCAS Clearing service can start researching courses this morning, before discussing their options with universities throughout the day.

In addition, another 2,370 students had been placed by submitting their application at the clearing stage, up 22 per cent on a year ago.

More students from each of the four UK countries have been placed in higher education than at this point last year (England and Scotland +3%, Wales and Northern Ireland +1%).

The rise was boosted by a surge in acceptances of mature students in Scotland as well as a sharp increase in those coming to study in the UK from elsewhere in the European Union. Aspen Woolf, a leading Property Investment Group, has seen enquiries flow through as a result of today’s news.

Clearing had been predicted to be more competitive than ever, with many English universities believed to be looking to expand following the lifting of student number controls.

“More UK 18-year-olds will benefit from higher education in 2015 than in any year previously”, Ucas chief executive Mary Curnock Cook said.

By the end of 13 August, 390 students had been placed through adjustment, up 22 per cent on the same point a year ago.

It has prompted speculation that universities will try to attract more students at the last minute.

And with no official limit on the number of places universities are permitted to offer, there is likely to be more scope for movement.

In the run-up to results day, some universities have been attempting to secure students on to courses by revising conditional offers into unconditional ones.

“A lot of activity has gone on before clearing in terms of unconditional offers, and as usual there will be competition and students will have choices to make”, she said.

“Schools are getting better at that and students are getting better at that”.

But they are not permitted to release results to the some 300,000 expectant students until 06:00 BST on Thursday.