A RECORD number of young Scottish students have secured a university place in Scotland, official figures have shown.
Almost three-quarters (72%) of Scottish applicants aged 19 and under, a total of 18,780, have gained a place at their first choice university.
This is an increase from 69% (18,680) last year and 65% (15,670) in 2019, figures from Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) confirmed.
Overall, 30,050 Scottish students have been accepted onto a higher education course, compared to 30,490 (-1%) in 2022 and up from 28,750 in 2019 (+5%).
READ MORE: Lee Anderson branded 'pound shop Enoch Powell' for anti-migrant call
Higher Education Minister Graeme Dey welcomed the figures and said he was “encouraged” to see a record number of 18-year-olds from the most deprived areas getting into university.
UCAS clearing data also showed that for successful Scottish applicants, more female students than male were accepted across all age groups.
For 18-year-olds, 8810 Scottish female applicants were accepted, compared to 6260 Scottish male applicants.
Commenting on the UCAS figures, Dey (pictured below) said: "I would like to congratulate all students who have gained a place at a Scottish university and it is encouraging to see a record number of young Scottish applicants securing a place.
"Over 30,000 Scottish students have now got a university place this year, including 29,220 at Scottish institutions, which is above pre-pandemic levels and we also know this is likely to increase in the coming days and weeks as more applications are processed.
"Widening access is a priority for this Government, so I was encouraged to see a record number of 18-year-olds from the most deprived areas getting into university.”
Dey said that while applications have fallen, this is due to a decrease in mature students who “ “may be taking advantage of the buoyant jobs market” and seeking employment rather than higher education.
"Direct entrance to university is only one of the options available to young people,” Dey added.
READ MORE: 'Major breakthrough' in Jagtar Singh Johal case after court ruling
“Scotland has excellent opportunities through apprenticeships and college educational routes, including higher education courses, which can support individuals in whatever it is they choose to do.”
Clare Marchant, UCAS chief executive, said: “Today I am delighted to see record numbers of young Scottish people celebrating receiving their first choice.
“While the number of overall applicants is down, we typically see a fall in mature applicant numbers when employment rates are high.
READ MORE: Downing Street defends Lee Anderson's 'f*** off' asylum seekers comments
“Today’s figures show that demand for going to university or college is still healthy and much higher than pre-pandemic levels.”
Marchant said that students who applied were more likely to secure a place demonstrating that the “admissions system is continuing to deliver for students”.
She added: “For any students who may not have received the grades they were hoping for, there is still plenty of choice available to you, with tens of thousands of courses in Clearing and our Clearing Plus tool able to help match you to personalised choices.”
We told earlier how students celebrated as the overall pass rate for all National 5s, Highers and Advanced Highers increased from the 2019 pre-pandemic level.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel