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Overview

An infographic that highlights key statistics from the publication. It shows that in 2024-25, 17.4% of Scottish-domiciled full-time first-degree university entrants were from the 20% most deprived areas, up from 16.7% the previous year. This figure was 19.8% for the tertiary sector level, and 21.1% for the full-time study level. It also shows that there were 2,285 care-experienced entrants to undergraduate HE in 2024-25, representing 2.8%.

Introduction

  1. This is the tenth SFC Report on Widening Access, providing updated statistics relating to equality and diversity of the student population across Scotland’s Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and colleges for the 2024-25 academic year. The background tables provide extensive breakdowns covering entrants, qualifiers, college student outcomes, college leaver destinations and university graduate outcomes.

  2. This publication primarily uses three metrics: (i) Scottish-domiciled full-time first degree entrants to university (FTFD), (ii) Scottish-domiciled undergraduate entrants to university (SDUE),1 and (iii) Scottish-domiciled all undergraduate HE entrants to the tertiary sector. The report presents data relating to the Commission on Widening Access (COWA) targets. An overview of COWA is contained in the Annex.

Upcoming Changes to the Publication

  1. This publication series will undergo several changes following the Report on Widening Access Consultation that was held between 9 February and 4 May 2026. For a summary of the findings from the consultation and its implications for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 publications, see the Consultation Report.

Notable Changes in Reporting

  1. The 2023-24 academic year saw the funding qualifying date for college students on courses lasting more than 20 weeks moved to earlier in the academic year. As the Report on Widening Access considers college students who were studying after the funding qualifying date,2 this change means that from 2023-24 onwards more students are eligible for inclusion in the analysis, particularly SIMD20, care experienced and disabled students as these are more likely to withdraw early.3

Key Indicators for SIMD

Table 1: Scottish-domiciled full-time first degree entrants at university and Scottish-domiciled all undergraduate HE entrants (both sectors), from the 20% most deprived areas (SIMD0-20) and care experience (CE), 2014-15 to 2024-25

Academic Year Total Entrants Entrants from MD20 % MD20 entrants CE Entrants % CE entrants
2014-15 28,640 3,965 13.9% 170 0.6%
2015-16 28,770 4,015 14.0% 160 0.6%
2016-17 28,885 3,965 13.8% 170 0.6%
2017-18 29,880 4,650 15.6% 255 0.8%
2018-19 31,065 4,900 15.9% 320 1.0%
2019-20 30,620 4,970 16.4% 370 1.2%
2020-21 33,290 5,515 16.7% 510 1.5%
2021-22 33,885 5,595 16.5% 545 1.6%
2022-23 32,760 5,310 16.3% 585 1.8%
2023-24 32,810 5,445 16.7% 620 1.9%
2024-25 35,275 6,150 17.4% 805 2.3%
Academic Year Total Entrants Entrants from MD20 % MD20 entrants CE Entrants % CE entrants
2014-15 84,175 14,440 17.5% 325 0.4%
2015-16 84,600 14,740 17.7% 445 0.5%
2016-17 86,360 14,920 17.7% 525 0.6%
2017-18 86,000 15,995 18.9% 680 0.8%
2018-19 86,205 16,500 19.4% 1,045 1.2%
2019-20 84,610 16,410 19.6% 1,470 1.7%
2020-21 90,595 17,735 19.7% 1,715 1.9%
2021-22 85,840 16,305 19.1% 1,720 2.0%
2022-23 85,515 15,945 18.7% 1,795 2.1%
2023-24 84,160 16,115 19.2% 2,030 2.4%
2024-25 81,900 16,225 19.8% 2,285 2.8%

Figure 1a: Proportion of college HE entrants, all undergraduate HE entrants (both sectors), and Scottish-domiciled full-time first degree entrants to university from SIMD0-20 areas, 2014-15 to 2024-25


  1. In 2024-25, 17.4% of Scottish-domiciled full-time first degree entrants to university were from the 20% most deprived areas, up 0.7 percentage points (pp) from 16.7% in 2023-24. See Table 1 and Figure 1a. For a breakdown by institution, see COWA Table 1B in the background tables.

  2. The next interim target for COWA is 18% by 2026.4 Early indicators from data returned by institutions in SFC’s Early Access Return (not published) suggest this proportion from the most deprived areas may show a slight decrease for 2025-26 entrants, whereas early indicators from UCAS undergraduate admissions data suggest the proportion will be largely unchanged for 2025-26. In either case, it means meeting the 2026 interim target will become more challenging.

Figure 1b: Scottish-domiciled full-time entrants from SIMD0-20 by level and sector of study, 2015-16 to 2024-25


  1. Figure 1b shows that 21.1% of Scottish-domiciled full-time entrants to all undergraduate HE in the tertiary sector were from the 20% most deprived areas in 2024-25, up 0.3pp year-on-year. Whilst students from the 20% most deprived areas make up just over 20% of undergraduate full-time HE entrants at tertiary level, there is variance in levels of representation by mode of study, institution and sector.

Figure 1c: Proportion of Scottish-domiciled full-time first degree entrants by SIMD quintile, 2014-15 to 2024-25


  1. The share of Scottish-domiciled full-time first degree entrants from the most deprived areas increased by more percentage points year-on-year than all other SIMD quintiles for the second year running. Meanwhile the proportions from some of the least deprived areas (SIMD60-80 and SIMD80-100) decreased slightly year-on-year. See Figure 1c.

Table 2: Scottish-domiciled full-time first degree university qualifiers and all undergraduate HE qualifiers, from the 20% most deprived areas (SIMD0-20), 2014-15 to 2024-25

Academic Year Total Qualifiers Qualifiers from MD20 % MD20 qualifiers
2014-15 22,145 2,650 12.0%
2015-16 22,970 2,820 12.3%
2016-17 23,475 3,055 13.1%
2017-18 23,640 3,150 13.4%
2018-19 23,570 3,270 13.9%
2019-20 22,565 2,930 13.0%
2020-21 22,475 2,960 13.2%
2021-22 23,775 3,405 14.4%
2022-23 22,265 3,010 13.6%
2023-24 24,090 3,370 14.0%
2024-25 24,040 3,325 13.8%
Please note: Qualifier figures in 2019-20 and 2020-21 were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and are not directly comparable with past academic years. Additionally, the year-on-year decline in university qualifiers in 2022-23 is in part due to a marking and assessment boycott in 2022-23. This led to the deferral of reporting for some qualifiers from the 2022-23 academic session into 2023-24. As such, qualifier figures should be treated with caution.
Academic Year Total Qualifiers Qualifiers from MD20 % MD20 qualifiers
2014-15 57,060 9,450 16.6%
2015-16 58,240 9,755 16.8%
2016-17 58,925 10,170 17.4%
2017-18 59,605 10,745 18.0%
2018-19 59,765 11,040 18.5%
2019-20 55,038 10,405 19.0%
2020-21 58,475 10,830 18.6%
2021-22 56,495 10,135 18.0%
2022-23 53,385 9,240 17.4%
2023-24 53,305 9,340 17.6%
2024-25 53,840 9,870 18.3%
Please note: Qualifier figures in 2019-20 and 2020-21 were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and are not directly comparable with past academic years. Additionally, the year-on-year decline in university qualifiers in 2022-23 is in part due to a marking and assessment boycott in 2022-23. This led to the deferral of reporting for some qualifiers from the 2022-23 academic session into 2023-24. As such, qualifier figures should be treated with caution.
  1. As shown in Table 2, in 2024-25, 53,840 students qualified at undergraduate HE level from Scotland’s colleges and universities. Of those achieving qualifications, 18.3% were from the 20% most deprived areas.

Care Experienced and Disabled Students

  1. Looking at Table 1, 2,285 care experienced entrants represented 2.8% of Scottish-domiciled entrants to all undergraduate HE courses at Scotland’s colleges and universities in 2024-25. This was up 0.4pp year-on-year and was an increase of 255 students. Both the numbers of care experienced students and the percentage of student intakes have increased every year since 2014-15.

  2. When interpreting figures relating to care experienced students it is important to note that students self-report their status. Therefore it is possible that not all care experienced students chose to report themselves as such. The reporting of students from care experienced backgrounds has been given more focus in recent years, with increased efforts to encourage students to declare themselves as being care experienced. Efforts have also been made at SFC to improve the data quality of care experienced student status in college returns. Financial support has been made available to care experienced students in Scotland at HE and FE level since 2017-18 and 2018-19 respectively.5

  1. In the university sector, 2.3% of Scottish-domiciled full-time first degree entrants in 2024-25 were care experienced, at 805 entrants. Both the percentage and number of care experienced entrants have increased every year since 2016-17. See Table 1.

  2. A record proportion of entrants to full-time HE and full-time FE at college were care experienced in 2024-25, at 5.3% and 10.8% respectively. See Background Table 5.

Figure 2: Distribution of Scottish-domiciled full-time first degree university entrants across SIMD quintiles by care experience status, 2024-25


  1. Care experienced entrants are much more likely to be from the most deprived areas of Scotland, as shown in Figure 2. In 2024-25, 30.1% of care experienced Scottish-domiciled entrants to full-time first degree were from the 20% most deprived areas, compared to 17.1% of those not declaring themselves as care experienced.

  2. The number of Scottish-domiciled full-time first degree students entering HEIs with a declared disability has increased every year since 2013-14 and currently make up 25.5%, a record high. See Background Table 1 for a breakdown of this data for the university sector and Background Table 5 for a breakdown for the college sector.

University Retention

Figure 3: Proportion of Scottish-domiciled full-time first degree entrants continuing their studies in year 2, 2014-15 into 2015-16 to 2023-24 into 2024-25


  1. Of the Scottish-domiciled full-time first degree students who entered in 2023-24, 91.7% returned to study in year two. This is up 2.2pp on the previous year and is a second year of recovery from the record low for this publication.6
  1. Retention rates for SIMD0-20, care experienced,7 and disabled students have seen strong recovery year-on-year, as shown by Figure 3. Retention of SIMD20 entrants has increased by 1.6pp year-on-year to 87.7%. Meanwhile retention rates for care experienced students have recovered by 1.5pp to 86.4%, and for disabled students by 1.8pp to 90.4%. NUS Scotland’s Cost of Survival report and the Scottish Government’s Student Finance and Wellbeing Study have outlined the extent to which the cost of living crisis had a significant effect on students on all levels of study in 2023-24, and had a disproportional impact on those from the most deprived areas and those who were care experienced or estranged. The persistence of cost-of-living pressures may explain the partial, but not full, recovery in retention rates post-Covid.
  1. A breakdown of retention rates by specific disability group can be found in Background Table 3. Overall retention rates for individual providers can be found in COWA Table 2A of the background tables.

Articulation

  1. For this publication, articulation measures for 2024-25 onwards are calculated using a new student matching methodology, replacing the previous matching approach. The new methodology improves the accuracy of linking student records across college and university study by using an enhanced process developed from ten years of learner data across the FES and HESA returns.

  2. As a consequence of the new approach, a small proportion of students with very long periods between college and university study (ten years or more) can no longer be matched, resulting in a very slight reduction in matched records in 2024-25. The improved matching identifies further students, so this reduction is balanced by improved identification over the ten-year period. In practice, this only affects Background Table 14d since this table does not use the Main Articulation Measure (MAM) or Wider Articulation Measure (WAM) indicators which limit to learners progressing within three years of qualifying from college. Where comparisons are made with previously published figures, users should be aware that any differences may reflect both underlying changes in student behaviour and the improved matching methodology.

  3. The Main Articulation Measure (MAM) and Wider Articulation Measure (WAM) populations, showing students eligible to be included within articulation metrics, have increased substantially for the 2024-25 academic year, with the MAM increasing by 23% YoY and recovering close to 2021-22 levels, at 7,110 students. An increase was expected, as last year’s publication noted more HNC/D students were entering college after a downturn.

  4. Looking forward, Background Table 13 of SFC’s HE Students and Qualifiers 2024-25 publication shows that HNC/D entrants to college were down slightly in 2024-25 at 19,040, a decrease of 845 (-4%) and the lowest in recent years. This indicates that the number of articulating students may decrease in 2025-26.

  5. More students articulated with Advanced Standing in 2024-25 than the previous year, with 3,325 students receiving full credit recognition for their prior learning and entering directly into year two with an HNC or year three with an HND, an increase of 225 students year-on-year.

  6. Despite the increase in number, the proportion articulating with Advanced Standing was down 6.8pp this year to 46.8%. This was because far more students were recognised as articulating with Advanced Progression.8 In 2024-25 the number articulating with Advanced Progression almost doubled to 1,105 students. This means that, despite the Advanced Standing proportion being lower in 2024-25, the proportion of students identified as having either full or partial credit recognition remained consistent with recent years. See Background Table 14a. For an overview of the articulation methodology, see the supplement published alongside this report.

  1. The proportion of Advanced Standing students from SIMD0-20 areas was a record high in 2024-25, at 27.5%. See Background Table 14b.

  2. Of the 6,150 Scottish-domiciled full-time first degree entrants from SIMD0-20 reported against the COWA measure, 39.3% (2,420) entered via college routes. Proportionally this was the highest since 2020-21 and the highest number of COWA students entering via college routes on record. See Background Table 14d.

Footnotes

  1. SDUE is only shown in the background tables. It includes first degree plus other undergraduate sub-degree provision at HN-level. HN-level includes Certificate of Higher Education (CertHE), Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE), Higher National Certificate (HNC) and Higher National Diploma (HND) qualifications. For a technical definition of how these are coded and for a numerical breakdown, see the Notes and Context Data sheets in the background tables.↩︎

  2. For full-time students on courses lasting over 20 weeks, the qualifying threshold date for funding is 5 weeks of active enrolment. For shorter courses lasting under 20 weeks, the threshold is that 25% of the course has been delivered.↩︎

  3. As SFC’s College Student Outcomes 2024-25 publication has shown.↩︎

  4. See Annex A for an overview of COWA and its targets.↩︎

  5. Scottish Funding Council - Care experienced bursaries↩︎

  6. See the Report on Widening Access 2022-23 paragraphs 20-21 for a summary of factors behind the decrease in retention rates for 2021-22 entrants retained into 2022-23.↩︎

  7. Retention rates for care experienced students are calculated for a relatively small population of entrants (615 for the latest year), therefore these retention rates are more susceptible to volatility and should be interpreted with caution.↩︎

  8. Advanced Progression is where a HND student enters directly into year two of university, receiving partial credit recognition for prior learning.↩︎