NI Higher Education Numbers Increase

There has been an increase in the number of Northern Ireland students accepted onto courses at Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).

The total number of applicants accepted into NI institutions has increased by 5.2%, rising from 9,549 in 2011 to 10,042 in 2012.

Northern Ireland appears to be performing favourably in comparison with the rest of the UK. The number of NI domiciled applicants accepted to NI institutions increased by 4.4% rising from 8,641 in 2011 to 9,022 in 2012.

The number of NI domiciled applicants accepted to institutions in the rest of the UK has fallen between 2011 and 2012.

English institutions have reported a fall of 6.3%, Wales a drop of 8.1% and Scotland a slight rise of 1.9% in the amount of applicants accepted.

The Minister for Employment and Learning Dr. Stephen Farry has welcomed the official UCAS figures.

He said: "These figures clearly show that the Executive's decisions to maintain tuition fees in Northern Ireland at an affordable level, while simultaneously increasing the number of undergraduate places available at local Higher Education Institutions, has helped to ensure that those students that wish to study in Northern Ireland have the opportunity to do so.

"I recently announced 500 additional undergraduate places in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) on top of the 700 new places announced last December, bringing the total increase in student places to 1,200 by 2015.

"This is good news for the increasing number of young people who want to access higher education in Northern Ireland, and are deterred from applying elsewhere due to the higher costs. Investing in higher education is essential if our economy is to have a sufficient critical mass of people with the high level skills it needs to be competitive in the future.

"My Department is committed, through its research agenda, to monitor how Northern Ireland higher education student flows have altered following changes to the different higher education fee charges across the UK and that information will help to inform my Department’s future policy."

(IT/GK)