In 2024/25, there were an estimated **** million students enrolled in higher education courses in the United Kingdom, compared with **** million in 2022/23, the highest number of enrolled students during this provided time period. Although the number of students in the UK fell from *** million in 2011/12 to million by 2014/15, this trend reversed in subsequent years, reaching the peak in the most recent year.
Largest UK universities
At ** students, the mainly remote, Open University had the largest number of students enrolled among UK-based higher education institutions in 2022/23. University College London had the second-highest number of students at *, followed by the University of Manchester at *. At the UK's two oldest and most prestigious universities, Oxford and Cambridge, there were *, and * students respectively. The university with the most students in Scotland was the University of Glasgow at **students, with Wales' being Cardiff University at * students, and Northern Ireland's Ulster University having *Ìý²õ³Ù³Ü»å±ð²Ô³Ù²õ.
Student Debt in the UK
For students that graduated from English universities in 2024, the average student loan debt incurred over the course of their studies was over * British pounds. Although students graduated with less debt from universities in Wales, Northern Ireland, and especially Scotland, this too has been growing recently. In 2024, students from Scottish Universities graduated with an average of * pounds of debt, compared with * in Wales, and * in Northern Ireland. The overall outstanding student loan debt in the UK reached over *** billion pounds in 2023/24, with the vast majority of this debt from students who studied in England.Â
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HESA. (January 27, 2026). Number of students enrolled in higher education in the United Kingdom from 2000/01 to 2024/25 (in millions) [Graph]. In ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ. Retrieved July 24, 2026, from /statistics/875015/students-enrolled-in-higher-education-in-the-uk/
HESA. "Number of students enrolled in higher education in the United Kingdom from 2000/01 to 2024/25 (in millions)." Chart. January 27, 2026. ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ. Accessed July 24, 2026. /statistics/875015/students-enrolled-in-higher-education-in-the-uk/
HESA. (2026). Number of students enrolled in higher education in the United Kingdom from 2000/01 to 2024/25 (in millions). ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ. ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ Inc.. Accessed: July 24, 2026. /statistics/875015/students-enrolled-in-higher-education-in-the-uk/
HESA. "Number of Students Enrolled in Higher Education in The United Kingdom from 2000/01 to 2024/25 (in Millions)." ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ, ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ Inc., 27 Jan 2026, /statistics/875015/students-enrolled-in-higher-education-in-the-uk/
HESA, Number of students enrolled in higher education in the United Kingdom from 2000/01 to 2024/25 (in millions) ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ, /statistics/875015/students-enrolled-in-higher-education-in-the-uk/ (last visited July 24, 2026)
Number of students enrolled in higher education in the United Kingdom from 2000/01 to 2024/25 (in millions) [Graph], HESA, January 27, 2026. [Online]. Available: /statistics/875015/students-enrolled-in-higher-education-in-the-uk/