A record number of UK school graduates are applying for university computing courses, figures show.
According to university admissions service Ucas, the number of UK 18-year-olds applying to computing has increased 9.5% since last year, making the course the seventh most popular course of study.
Ucas CEO Claire Merchant suggested that the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and advances in digital technology are making students “increasingly motivated” to learn computing.
As of 30 June, the final deadline for applying for up to five courses simultaneously, there were 94,870 applications for computing from 18 in the UK, up from 86,630 last year and 71,150 in 2021. bottom.
The number of UK school graduates applying for computing courses, including artificial intelligence, has increased over the past year.
British teenagers know AI will change the world forever.It’s no surprise that demand for computing degrees is skyrocketing
This is while AI chatbots like ChatGPT are making headlines.
Applications to study software engineering by UK school graduates increased by 16% compared to the same period last year, followed by computer science (up 11%), artificial intelligence (up 4%) and computer games and animation (up 2%). % increase) ) also increased from last year.
But Yukas said computing remains a male-dominated field, with only 18% of UK 18-year-old applicants being female.
Ms Merchant said, “I believe that changes in the world around us will lead to increased demand for certain courses, as we have seen in economics since 2008 and in medicine and nursing during the COVID-19 pandemic. we know
“These new figures show that students are more motivated to study computing thanks to the rise of digital and AI.”
Overall, the figures show that there were 195,690 applications in computing from applicants of all ages and from all countries, a 9% increase over 2022.
Rashik Palmer, Chief Executive Officer of BCS, UK Accredited IT Institute, said: It’s no surprise that demand for computing degrees is skyrocketing.
“AI is already reshaping how we diagnose cancer, how we tackle climate change, how we work and how we communicate.
“Thousands of young men and women applying for computing through Ucas are doing so because they want to have a say in this future.”
These new figures show that students are more motivated to study computing thanks to the rise of digital and AI.
The figures show that the total number of 18-year-old school and university graduates applying to undergraduate programs in the UK has fallen this year.
A total of 319,570 18-year-olds across the UK signed up for courses this year, compared to a record high of 326,190 in 2022.
Yukas said various factors are influencing the application, including geopolitics, the economy, the job market and the rising cost of living.
The number of foreign applicants of all ages increased by 2.4% last year, with interest from India, the Middle East and Africa.
Meanwhile, applicants from China have fallen by 2.2%, most likely due to COVID-19 restrictions and interruptions to learning, Yukas said.
In a blog on the website of the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI), Marchant said that although the number of international students has increased this year, the overall job placement rate is about the same as last year.
“The ratio of domestic and international students admitted to UK institutions remains relatively constant, with around 13% of all incoming students coming from outside the UK, so domestic students still have plenty of options,” she said. Stated.
Commenting on the drop in applicants from China this year, Ms Merchant said, “Early signs from future Ucas surveys suggest demand is picking up, and we may be approaching a ‘China peak’. It goes against the suggestion that
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