Increase coincides with drop in proportion of pupils awarded A-C grades in Scottish Higher exams
Nearly three-quarters of young Scottish applicants have been accepted to their first choice of university, despite a fall in the overall pass rate for pupils sitting Scottish Higher exams.
Figures released by the admissions service Ucas show that 72 per cent of applicants aged 19 and under gained a place at their first choice university, up from 69 per cent last year and 65 per cent in 2019.
However, the overall number of Scottish students accepted to university fell from 30,490 in 2022 to 30,050. Ucas attributed this to a drop in the total number of applicants driven by a decline in mature students.
This year, a total of 44,490 Scottish applicants applied to university, down from 48,000 last year and 47,220 in 2019. Meanwhile, the number of mature applicants has dropped to 15,370, down from 17,850 and 19,590 in 2019.
Demand for university education ‘still healthy’
“Today I am delighted to see record numbers of young Scottish people celebrating receiving their first choice,” said Ucas chief executive Clare Marchant. “While the number of overall applicants is down, we typically see a fall in mature applicant numbers when employment rates are high.
“Today’s figures show that demand for going to university or college is still healthy and much higher than pre-pandemic levels.
“Students who have applied have been more likely to secure a place which demonstrates how the admissions system is continuing to deliver for students as they make the next memorable step on their higher education journey.”
Scottish Higher exam grades
The news came as the proportion of pupils awarded an A, B, or C in their Scottish Higher exams fell to 77.1 per cent down from 78.9 per cent. However, the level remains above pre-Covid levels, with a pass rate of 74.8 per cent in 2019.
The results for Advanced Highers, which are typically set at the educational level of a first-year university course, followed a similar pattern. In total, 79.8 per cent of students obtained grades A-C, down from 81.3 per cent in 2022, but still above the 2019 rate of 79.4 per cent.
Scottish education secretary Jenny Gilruth said there was “much to celebrate in what is another strong set of results showing a clear and continuing recovery from the pandemic”.