Report shows retention rates rise as progress on widening access continues

Photo: Abertay University

Students from Scotland’s most deprived communities are entering higher education in greater numbers and increasingly staying and succeeding in their studies, according to the Scottish Funding Council’s (SFC’s) latest Report on Widening Access.

One of the most encouraging findings is the recovery in university retention rates. Of Scottish-domiciled full-time first degree students who entered university in 2023-24, 91.7% returned for their second year of study, up 2.2 percentage points on the previous year.

Retention among students from the 20% most deprived parts of Scotland (SIMD20) showed strong improvement, rising by 1.6 percentage points to 87.7%. This represents a second consecutive year of recovery.

Retention rates also improved for other key groups. Care experienced students saw retention increase by 1.5 percentage points to 86.4%, while retention among disabled students rose by 1.8 percentage points to 90.4%.

The number of care experienced students entering higher education also reached a record level. There were 2,285 care experienced entrants to undergraduate higher education courses across colleges and universities in 2024-25, accounting for 2.8% of all entrants. Both the number and proportion of care experienced entrants have increased every year since 2014-15.

In universities alone, 805 care experienced students entered full-time first degree courses, representing 2.3% of entrants. Care experienced students were also more likely to come from deprived communities, with 30.1% of care experienced university entrants living in SIMD20 areas.

The report also shows continued growth in participation among disabled students. More than a quarter (25.5%) of Scottish-domiciled full-time first degree entrants declared a disability (where known) in 2024-25, the highest proportion recorded.

Francesca Osowska, Chief Executive of the Scottish Funding Council, said:

“These figures demonstrate encouraging progress towards Scotland’s widening access ambitions. It is particularly positive to see retention rates improving for students from the most deprived parts of Scotland, care experienced students and disabled students, showing that more learners are not only accessing higher education but staying on through their studies.

 

“As we work towards future widening access targets, this report highlights the commitment across Scotland’s colleges and universities to ensure learners from all backgrounds have the opportunity to succeed and fulfil their potential.”