Student Undergraduate Applications Down – Employability is the new main focus

Not wanting to sound overly highbrow – I read a really interesting article in the *FT last Tuesday 31st Jan, focused around UCAS’s application figures and trends for students applying for entry in Autumn 2012.  In fairness it was our MD Chris Wildsmith who brought this article to my attention, but none the less it made for interesting reading!

Perhaps not surprisingly the figures from UCAS show that applications are down overall, but interestingly it appears that the new fee structure may be starting to kick in, *with British and EU residents’ applications to English Universities down by -10.1% and Equivalent Scottish residents’ applications to Scottish Universities down by only -1.1%.  Pleasant reading for Alex Salmond no doubt and his drive for independence!

What I thought was far more fascinating however was the recurring theme of employability and added value from the student experience.  Undergraduates are not only taking a view on their long term future but essentially looking for the best return on their investment – which makes perfect business sense! The arts, humanities and social science look to be hardest hit, whilst the decline is less pronounced in professional and business degrees.

The themes in this article not only reflect the changing trend of the student but also highlights how Universities are having to shift their own focus and reform to meet these needs.  I think that moving forward as the article suggests, we will hear far more from our own customers and the broader market on areas where institutions will benefit from collaboration and how technology will be required to underpin this.  We have already seen how our own customers have benefitted from the process changes student housing software such as KxStudent have delivered. With the student experience now playing an even more pivotal role in the success or failure of institutions, I think we will see even more focus on web based applications of how they will enable Universities to achieve this.

* Reference to article in the FT, January 31st January 2012 – Chris Cook.

* Source UCAS