Here are some key points from the blog that may be of interest:
- Of those that remain within Wales, many look to apply and study locally.
- The biggest regional flow from England to Wales is from the South West of England.
- The regional entry rate gap between the region with the highest entry rate, South Wales Central (37.9%) and the region with the lowest entry rate, South Wales East (29.7%) is more than 8 percentage points.
- The entry rate for 18-year-olds is higher for applicants from rural areas, relative to urban areas, across all five Wels parliamentary regions.
- On average, 34% of applicants in Wales are interested in apprenticeships.
Our insights emphasise the role understanding regional patterns in access to higher education can play to enable a more targeted approach from the sector as a whole. With the establishment of Commission for Tertiary Education and Research (CTER) this September, we recommend that as part of its responsibility to promoting equality of opportunity to HE, the commission place greater focus on prioritising disadvantaged and urban areas where entry rates are lower. In addition, colleges and universities can also prioritise these groups, particularly for their local intake, when writing and implementing their fee and access plans. We would welcome your support in promoting these recommendations.