Oxford University‘s annual admissions report has shown a ‘steep decline’ in applications from students from the European Union.
The report found that the number of EU admissions has fallen by half, going from 8% of Oxford students to just 4%. On average, around 260 students over the past four years hailed from EU member states, whereas this year the number is just 128. However, the percentage of British students rose to 82%, as opposed to the Russell Group’s overall average of 73%,
Oxford University’s vice-chancellor, Professor Louise Richardson, said, ‘[the] decline was expected as a result of the changing fee regime occasioned by Brexit, but it is stark.’
Overseas fees tripled
Prior to Brexit, students from the EU were subject to ‘home’ fees, paying the same £9,250 per annum as British students. From autumn 2021 onwards, however, students from the EU became subject to the significantly more expensive ‘overseas’ fees, which can be as much as £30,000 per annum.
For example, the cost of studying undergraduate law at the University of Oxford as an overseas student is £29,500 per annum – an increase that has undoubtedly discouraged EU students.
Another major implication for EU students is the lack of access to the UK’s student loan scheme. Previously helping students both in the UK and the EU to cover costs, Brexit has meant that students from the EU can no longer rely on the scheme to afford their degrees, meaning that they have to find alternative means by which to cover the increased tuition fees.
Increase in state-educated students
However, the report also revealed that admissions of state-educated pupils had risen significantly by 10%. In 2017, 58% of Oxford students attended state school, but by 2021 this had risen to 68%. The report noted that this rise was especially prominent during the years affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, peaking at 69% in 2020.
The university report also pointed out that state-educated students ‘appl[ied] disproportionately for the most oversubscribed subjects.‘ 38% of applications from state schools were for the five most popular courses – medicine, law, mathematics, economics, and politics, philosophy and economics (PPE) – in 2019-21, compared to 31% of private schools. Instead, nearly a fifth of applications from private schools were for the least-subscribed courses – such as music, classics, and modern languages, as opposed to 12% of applications from state schools.