EngineeringUK reveals higher education insights

‘Engineering in higher education’ is based on 2020/21 data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). It explores the number, characteristics and outcomes of UK engineering and technology students in HE. It also compares the data for engineering and technology students alongside that of students studying on HE courses overall.

The report reveals there were 38,615 first-degree engineering and technology undergraduates in their first year of university, equating to 6.1 per cent of all first-degree undergraduates.

When considering undergraduates in all years of study and postgraduates, the number of engineering and technology students rises to 179,000 – which reflects a 14 per cent increase since 2009/10. This is just under ten percentage points higher compared to all subjects, where the number of students has risen by 5.2 per cent.

However, when looking at total number of students it’s important to consider that only a proportion of this group will be graduating and entering the job market next year, Engineering UK said.