The total – the highest on record – marks a turnaround in the numbers applying since last year when Brexit was blamed for a fall-off in applications especially among EU students, which were down by 9% in October 2016. In England the enthusiasm comes from this year’s students taking A-levels who are applying for places on the most competitive courses in record numbers. The improvement in both EU and non-EU numbers comes after UK universities have ramped up their overseas student recruitment strategies. EU applicants for 2018 places were up by 6%, partially reversing the fall of 9% last year but still remaining below the levels seen in the years before the Brexit referendum result. The large increases in terms of numbers came from England, with a 7% rise compared with the previous year.

Source: The Guardian October 25, 2017 22:52 UTC