Students applying to the most prestigious universities could face increased competition for places on certain courses this summer, according to an expert.
Professor Sir Steve West, president of Universities UK (UUK), representing 140 institutions, has suggested that some top universities may limit admissions in certain subject areas due to infrastructure pressures. The major expansion during the Covid years has left some universities with limited accommodation, specialist teaching spaces, and staff resources.
Speaking ahead of A-level results day, Sir Steve mentioned that some Russell Group universities may offer fewer vacancies in clearing this year due to capacity issues. The Russell Group comprises many of the UK's most selective and research-intensive universities.
Sir Steve stated, "In the first round of Covid, what you saw happening was universities had made offers, students then achieved the offers so there was very little drop-off and therefore research-intensive universities expanded significantly their undergraduate student population. Now that's put pressure on their infrastructure, their staffing, and what they're trying to do is just to rebalance that back into some sense of normality."
He also highlighted subject areas like science, medicine, and dentistry, which may face additional competition due to the need for workshops and laboratories.
A-level and GCSE results in England are expected to return to pre-pandemic levels this year after Covid-induced grade inflation in 2020 and 2021. Ucas and Ofqual officials have advised students to be mindful that the most selective courses fill up quickly, and competition may arise due to a growth in 18-year-olds in the population.
Clearing, a popular route for securing university places, allows students to find courses directly and is often used by those who have changed their minds or exceeded expectations. Sir Steve believes that Russell Group universities might have fewer vacancies in clearing this summer, especially for highly popular courses with restricted student numbers. Photo by Paul the Archivist, Wikimedia commons.