A-level results: number of students accepted on to nursing degrees up on 2018
Posted 15 August 2019 - 13:25
Nursing degree applicants confirm their university places – or prepare for UCAS clearing
Nursing degree applicants confirm their university places – or prepare for UCAS clearing
More than 20,000 students are taking their first step into the nursing profession after today's A-level results.
Universities and Colleges Admissions Service figures revealed 21,870 students were accepted on to nursing courses in the UK, a 4% increase on last year.
A further 9,030 applicants to nursing are waiting for their places to be confirmed under a holding offer. And a total of 14,690 nursing applicants are eligible to be placed in the clearing process if they choose.
Slight recovery in applications following a dip
Coventry University executive dean of health, Guy Daly, said this morning there are three clearing places available on the adult nursing course. Four spaces were available on its learning disability nursing degree.
But neither the children and young people’s nursing or mental health nursing degrees will be going into clearing, as the placed applicants have been confirmed.
Mr Daly estimated there had been nine or ten applicants per place across the four nursing fields this year, a slight recovery since the nursing bursary was abolished in England in 2016.
‘After the bursary was removed there was a dip with seven applications per place, but it has crept up,’ he said.
Clearing places available
University of Plymouth dean of the faculty of health, Bridie Kent, said this morning roughly 100 clearing spaces were available across child, adult and mental health nursing degrees.
Professor Kent said mature students were still turning away from nursing courses due to cost, with areas like mental health nursing suffering.
‘They’ve got families, housing and they can’t afford the cost of being away on placements,’ she said.
The RCN is currently campaigning for the government to invest £1 billion in nursing education.
Breakdown of UCAS figures
Number of confirmed applicants
England
2019: 16,010
2018: 15,490
Northern Ireland
2019: 950
2018: 920
Scotland
2019: 3,060
2018: 2,870
Wales
2019: 1,340
2018: 1,320
Applicants from elsewhere in EU
2019: 340
2018: 330
Applicants from outside EU
2019: 160
2018: 100
Confirmed UK applicants by age
17 and under
2019: 30
2018: 20
18 years
2019: 5,250
2018: 4,850
19 years
2019: 2,550
2018: 2,460
20-24 years
2019: 4,790
2018: 4,940
25 years +
2019: 8,750
2018: 8,350
Confirmed UK applicants by sex
Women
2019: 20,030
2018: 19,250
Men
2019: 1,830
2018: 1,780
All figures rounded to the nearest 10
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