Department for the Economy publishes Higher Education Statistics

The Department has published the Enrolments at UK Higher Education Institutions: Northern Ireland Analysis 2016/17 and Qualifications gained at UK Higher Education Institutions: Northern Ireland Analysis 2016/17 bulletins.

Enrolments at UK Higher Education Institutions: Northern Ireland Analysis 2016/17

This statistical bulletin provides information on the number of NI students enrolled at UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and the number of students enrolled at NI HEIs.

Key points include:

• Over the past decade, the number of NI students enrolled at UK HEIs increased initially, from 62,300 in 2007/08 to a peak of 65,590 in 2011/12, before declining to 63,070 in 2016/17.
• The number of NI students enrolled on full-time first year undergraduate courses at UK HEIs increased by 2.8%, from 13,280 in 2015/16 to 14,035 in 2016/17.
• Of the 63,070 NI students enrolled at UK HEIs in 2016/17, 73.1% were enrolled at NI HEIs (including 5.7% studying locally at the Open University) and 26.9% at HEIs in GB.
• In 2016/17, 49.0% of NI domiciled students at UK HEIs were studying a Science, Technology, Engineering or Maths (Broad STEM) related subject and 26.5% a Narrow STEM related subject.
• Despite a 1.2% (675) decrease between 2015/16 (55,245) and 2016/17 (54,570), student enrolments at NI HEIs have increased by a net 4.6% (2,415) over the past decade (from 52,155 in 2007/08).
• Between 2015/16 and 2016/17, the number of first year undergraduates enrolling at NI HEIs decreased by 2.6%, from 17,250 to 16,800; a 7.1% increase in full-time enrolments (from 9,855 to 10,555) was offset by a 15.6% decrease in part-time enrolments (from 7,395 to 6,245).
• Of the 54,570 students enrolled at NI HEIs in 2016/17, 84.5% were from NI, 3.8% from the Republic of Ireland, 5.8% from GB, 0.7% from other EU countries and 5.2% from non-EU countries.

This document is available to download from our website

Qualifications gained at UK Higher Education Institutions: Northern Ireland Analysis 2016/17

This statistical bulletin provides information on Higher Education qualifications gained by students at NI HEIs and by NI domiciled students at UK HEIs.

Key points include:

• At 18,240, the number of qualifications gained by NI domiciled students from UK HEIs in 2016/17 has remained stable for the fourth successive year, since 2013/14 (18,150).
• Over three-quarters (77.0%) of NI domiciled ‘first degree’ graduates from UK HEIs achieved either a first class or upper second class honours degree in 2016/17.
• During 2016/17, 47.8% of qualifications gained by NI domiciled students at UK HEIs were in a Broad STEM related subject and 23.5% in a Narrow STEM related subject.
• At 16,145, the number of qualifications gained by students from NI HEIs in 2016/17 has remained stable for the fourth successive year, since 2013/14 (15,910).
• In 2016/17, 76.2% of ‘first degree’ graduates from NI HEIs achieved either a first class or upper second class honours degree.
• During 2016/17, 48.2% of qualifications gained by students at NI HEIs were in a Broad STEM related subject and 23.1% in a Narrow STEM related subject.
• In 2016/17, females accounted for 58.3% of students gaining qualifications at NI HEIs.

This document is available to download at our website

Notes to editors: 

1. The statistics presented in these bulletins are based on data collected by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). HESA is the official agency for the collection of information on publicly funded Higher Education (HE) institutions in the UK.
2. The HESA data presented in these bulletins relate to students at publicly funded HE institutions in the UK and do not include HE students at Further Education (FE) colleges in NI or GB, or at institutions in the Republic of Ireland.
3. Higher Education students for the purpose of HESA's data collection are those students on courses for which the level of instruction is above that of level 3 of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) National Qualifications Framework (NQF) (for example, courses at the level of Certificate of HE and above).
4. The academic year runs from 1 August to 31 July.
5. For media enquiries please contact the Department for the Economy Press Office on 028 9052 9604 or pressoffice@economy-ni.gov.uk. Out of office hours, please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 07623 974383 and your call will be returned. Follow the Department for the Economy on Twitter @Economy_NI

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