UNITED KINGDOM

University participation rate hits record high

The proportion of young people accessing higher education hit a record high of 49% as students scrambled to avoid last year’s tuition fee hikes, a new study says, writes Jack Grove for Times Higher Education.

According to a report by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, published last Wednesday, higher education participation rates for people aged 17-30 rose from 46% in 2010-11 to 49% in 2011-12 – the final year before tuition fees nearly trebled to up to £9,000 (US$13,900) a year.
Full report on the Times Higher Education site