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Photos: University of Aberdeen, University of Glasgow, University of St. Andrews
New figures released today by the university admissions service, UCAS, show an all-time high number of Scottish school leavers applying to study at university. This year’s figure of 22,360 applicants aged 18 or under is up by four percent on last year.
For all Scots looking to start a degree later in 2026, applicants have increased for the third year in a row. Overall applicant figures for Scottish universities shows that, taking into account the unprecedented pressure on places during the COVID 19 pandemic, demand continues to grow. This year’s figure of 123,170 reflects a year on year increase of 2%.
The UCAS data also contains good news for Scotland’s long running commitment to fair access to higher education. At 17.5% a record proportion of applicants living in Scotland and applying to study at university here are from the most deprived areas of the country. Students in this group are also applying in greater numbers to universities in the rest of the UK with a 4% increase from last year’s total.
Also in today’s figures is an indication that demand for degree qualifications in both nursing and midwifery is recovering. However, the number of applicants for teacher training has seen a fall of 6%.
New from UCAS for 2026 is data about applicants intentions about whether or not to live at home as they study for their undergraduate degree. The indications are that the current high cost of living is encouraging more students to study from home.
Today’s UCAS figures show applications up until the 14 January deadline. UCAS will publish updated figures at key points in the 2026 application cycle including when Scottish exam results become available in early August.
