What is the Cabinet Secretary’s response to recent UCAS data showing that the proportion of 18-year-olds in Wales applying to go to university has reached a 15-year low?
Data on applications to higher education for the 2024 cycle as of 30 June was released by UCAS on 18 July 2024.
The proportion of Welsh 18-year-olds applying to university by the 30 June deadline has decreased slightly. 33.8% of 18-year-olds applied in 2024, down 0.4 percentage points from 34.2% at the same point in 2023. This is not a 15-year low – it is higher than the application rate at this point in 2020 (33.6%).
We are aware of the decrease in the number of applications and I am focused on understanding what we can do to further increase participation, drawing on independent expertise and a wide body of evidence.