Record numbers apply to study computing at British universities amid rise of AI

Students are becoming ‘increasingly inspired’ by the rise of artificial intelligence, Ucas boss says.

Data shows the number of applications to computing by 18-year-olds in the UK has risen by 9.5% (PA) (PA Wire)

A record number of British school leavers have applied to study computing courses at university, figures show.

The number of applications to computing by 18-year-olds in the UK has risen by 9.5% since last year – making it the seventh most popular course to study, according to the university admissions service Ucas.

Ucas chief executive Clare Marchant suggested that students are becoming “increasingly inspired” to study computing due to the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and advances in digital technology.

As of June 30 – the final deadline to apply to up to five courses simultaneously – there were 94,870 applications to computing from 18-year-olds in the UK, up from 86,630 last year and 71,150 in 2021.

The number of applications from British school leavers to computing courses – including artificial intelligence – has increased in the past year.

Teenagers in the UK know that AI will change the world forever; it shouldn’t surprise us to see this soaring demand for computing degrees

Rashik Parmar, BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT

It comes as AI chatbots, like ChatGPT, have been making headlines.

The number of applications from British school leavers to study software engineering has increased by 16% compared to the same point last year, while computer science (up 11%), artificial intelligence (up 4%) and computer games and animation (up 2%) have also seen applications rise on last year.

But computing remains a male-dominated field, Ucas said, with only 18% of all applications from 18-year-olds in the UK made by females.

Ms Marchant said: “We know that changes in the world around us translate into increased demand for certain courses, as we saw for economics post-2008, and for medicine and nursing during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“These new figures suggest students are becoming increasingly inspired to study computing thanks to the rise of digital and AI.”

Overall, the figures show there have been 195,690 applications to computing from applicants of all ages and from all countries – which is up 9% on 2022.

Rashik Parmar, chief executive of BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, said: “Teenagers in the UK know that AI will change the world forever; it shouldn’t surprise us to see this soaring demand for computing degrees.

“AI is already reshaping how cancer is diagnosed, how we tackle climate change, how we work and how we communicate.

“The thousands of young men and women applying for computing through Ucas do so because they want a say in this future.”

These new figures suggest students are becoming increasingly inspired to study computing thanks to the rise of digital and AI

Ucas chief executive Clare Marchant

The figures show that the overall number of 18-year-old school and college leavers in the UK applying to undergraduate courses has fallen this year.

A total of 319,570 18-year-olds from across the UK have applied to courses this year,  compared to the record high of 326,190 in 2022.

Ucas said a range of factors are influencing applications – including geopolitics, the economy and job market, and rising cost of living.

The number of international applicants, of all ages, has increased by 2.4% in the last year, which is driven by interest from India, the Middle East and Africa.

Meanwhile, applicants from China are down by 2.2% which Ucas said is most likely due to Covid-19 restrictions and disruption to learning.

In a blog on the Higher Education Policy Institute’s (HEPI) website, Ms Marchant said that although there is an increase in the number of international students this year, their overall offer rates are about the same as last year.

She said: “The ratio between domestic and international students being placed at UK institutions remains relatively constant, with about 13% of all accepted students from outside the UK – so there remains plenty of choice available to domestic students.”

On this year’s decline in the number of applicants from China, Ms Marchant added: “Early indications from upcoming Ucas research suggests that demand will recover, countering suggestions that we may be close to ‘peak China’.”