Drop in nursing course applicants sparks concern over recruitment crisis

‘Cost of living factors’ are making prospective students re-evaluate their choice of subject based on future career prospects, a Ucas boss suggested

The number of applicants to university or college courses this year has fallen, with fewer people signing up to study nursing, Ucas figures show.

A total of 596,590 people had applied to undergraduate courses at UK institutions by the January deadline – down 2.3% on the same point last year, according to data by the university admissions service.

The number of applicants to nursing courses has fallen by 18.6% compared with January 2022, and applicants to education teaching courses are down 15.6%.