Record number of home students enrolling at Scottish universities

A record number of Scottish domiciled students have enrolled at the country’s universities.

The latest Higher Education Student Statistics show the number of home students studying at Scotland’s universities rose from 180,170 in 2020-21 to 183,025 in 2021-22.

There was also a record number of full-time Scottish domiciled first degree entrants recorded, with 5,595 Scots from the country’s most deprived areas entering university.

This is an 41 per cent increase since the establishment of the Commission on Widening Access.

Scottish universities also saw a record number of students qualifying in 2021-22, increasing by over 13 per cent - from 82,850 in 2020-21 to 93,775 a year later.

Higher and Further Education Minister Jamie Hepburn said: “It is hugely encouraging to see a record number of Scottish domiciled students taking advantage of the world-class universities on our doorstep.

"These figures demonstrate the continued strength of our university sector.

“We continue to make progress to widen access, with a record number of students from Scotland’s most deprived communities securing a place at university.

“We are committed to the principle that access to education should be based on the ability to learn. Every child growing up in Scotland should have an equal chance of attending university, regardless of their background and circumstances.

He added: “The sharp drop in EU students coming to Scotland’s university is bitterly disappointing – an inevitable consequence of the UK Government’s hugely damaging Brexit."

A record number of students enrolled overall at Scottish higher education institutes in 2021-22 – an increase from last year of 6.5 per cent (+18,355) to 301,230 and a 30.9 per cent increase since 2006-07.

The other figures were as follows:

• UK domiciled 35,730 (+1,210 since 2020-21 – 3.5 per cent rise);

• Non-EU domiciled 65,300 (+17,670 since 2020-21 – a 37.1 per cent rise); and

• EU domiciled 17,140 (-3,410 since 2020-21 – 6.6 per cent decrease).

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