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Top ten subjects studied in U.K. universities

Application to study a degree in the U.K. is through a government body called the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). Each year the admissions body compiles the most popular applied-for courses across the university and college sector. The applications data for 2014 has recently been released.

The top ten most popular courses in the U.K. are:

Nursing: 238,000 applications
Psychology: 106,000
Law: 103,000
Design studies: 97,000
Pre-clinical medicine: 85,000
Computer Science: 77,000
Management: 71,000
Sport and exercise: 67,000
Business: 66,000
Social Work: 64,000

With nursing securing the top spot, the growth in applications for this course have been staggering. Back in 2007 the number of applicants was below 60,000. The expansion relates, partly, to measures instigated by the Labour government headed by Gordon Brown in 2008 pushing for an expansion of nursing posts to work in the U.K. National Health Service.

Another growth area has been with two core scientific subjects – chemistry and physics – which have grown by some 30,000 applicants. Another large growth area has been with engineering, where there has been an 80 percent rise over a ten year period.

in terms of subjects slipping out of fashion, there has been a decline with the number of prospective students applying for languages.

The most popular courses in 2007 were:

Law: 92,000 applications
Psychology: 80,000
Pre-clinical Medicine: 70,000
Design: 70,000
Management: 62,000
Social work: 60,000
Nursing: 58,000
Business: 55,000
English: 54,000
Computer Science: 54,000

In 2014, around 700,000 people applied to study higher education with the rate marginally up on the previous year. Just over two-thirds of applicants (500,000) were successful in securing their chosen subject. Applications are slightly down on what they might have been, according a separate UCAS report, following the rise in tuition fees introduced by the Cameron-Clegg administration.

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Written By

Dr. Tim Sandle is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for science news. Tim specializes in science, technology, environmental, business, and health journalism. He is additionally a practising microbiologist; and an author. He is also interested in history, politics and current affairs.

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