1. About this report

This statistical bulletin provides information on qualifications gained by Northern Ireland (NI) domiciled students at UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and all students at NI HEIs. It is based on data supplied by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), the official agency for the collection of information from UK universities, which is now part of Jisc, the Designated Data Body for HE in England.

The bulletin is divided into two main sections:

  1. Northern Ireland Domiciled Qualifiers from UK HEIs.
  2. Qualifiers from Northern Ireland HEIs.

As we recognise that users may also be interested in NI students enrolled at NI HEIs, additional information on this group can be obtained through the Interactive Tables section.

Detailed Excel/Open Data tables detailing figures quoted in these sections are available from Qualifications gained at UK Higher Education Institutions: Northern Ireland Analysis 2021/22 | Department for the Economy (economy-ni.gov.uk).

New Publication Format and Interactive tables

This publication marks the first release of the Qualifications Bulletin in HTML format, as well as the introduction of Interactive Tables. We welcome feedback from users on the new format and tables.

2. Key Points - 2021/22

Northern Ireland Domiciled Qualifiers from UK HEIs

  • The number of NI domiciled qualifiers has increased by a net 5% over the past decade…
  • …but this was down 8% from the pandemic-affected record high of the previous year.
  • Most qualifications were gained through full-time study, with more females graduating than males.
  • First degrees made up the majority of qualifications gained.
  • Although the number of ‘other undergraduate’ qualifications was unchanged, fewer first degree and postgraduate qualifications were awarded during the past year.
  • The highest proportion of qualifiers were from the least deprived areas of Northern Ireland.
  • Over a quarter of all NI domiciled graduates received their qualifications from GB HEIs.
  • Around half of students qualified in a Broad STEM subject and a quarter in a Narrow STEM subject.
  • Males were more than twice as likely as females to qualify in Narrow STEM subjects.
  • Over four-fifths of NI domiciled first degree qualifiers graduated with a first class or upper second class degree, down slightly from the record high of the previous year.

Qualifiers from Northern Ireland HEIs

  • The number of qualifiers from NI HEIs has increased by a net 17% increase over the past decade…
  • …but this was down 2% from the previous year.
  • More females than males gained a qualification at NI HEIs, with the vast majority for both sexes being through full-time courses.
  • Almost half of qualifications were at first degree level.
  • The increase in postgraduate qualifications awarded since the previous year contrasts with decreases in both first degree and ‘other undergraduate’ awards.
  • Over a quarter of qualifiers were domiciled outside NI, the highest proportion over the 10-year period, with a record number from non-EU countries.
  • Nearly half of qualifications were in a Broad STEM subject, with almost a quarter in a Narrow STEM subject.
  • Males were more than twice as likely as females to gain their qualification in a Narrow STEM subject.
  • Over four-fifths of first degree graduates from NI HEIs achieved either a first or upper second class degree.

3. Northern Ireland Domiciled Qualifiers from UK HEIs

10 Year Trend

The number of NI domiciled qualifiers has increased by a net 5% over the past decade…

Although fluctuating, the number of qualifications gained by NI domiciled students at UK HEIs has increased by a net 5% over the past decade, from 18,665 in 2012/13 to 19,505 in 2021/22.

Figure 1: 5% increase in NI domiciled qualifiers over the decade and 8% decrease since the previous year

NI domiciled students gaining qualifications at UK HEIs between 2012/2013 and 2021/2022

In terms of the level of qualification gained by NI domiciled students at UK HEIs, postgraduate qualifications have experienced the largest percentage increase (37%) over the last ten years, from 4,375 in 2012/13 to 6,005 in 2021/22. The number of first degree qualifications changed little between 2012/13 (11,765) and 2021/22 (11,730), whereas a net 30% fewer ‘other undergraduate’ qualifications (such as foundation degrees, HNDs and HNCs) were awarded, from 2,525 in 2012/13 to 1,770 in 2021/22.

Comparison with Previous Year

…but this was down 8% from the pandemic-affected record high of the previous year.

At 19,505, the number of qualifications gained by NI domiciled students at UK HEIs in 2021/22 was 8% lower than in 2020/21 (21,245). This decrease follows a sharp increase between 2019/20 (17,520) and 2020/21 (21,245), which was due to a number of pandemic-related factors (including course extensions and delays in awards) and the recent availability of postgraduate loans.

Although the total number of qualifiers for 2021/22 (19,505) was down when compared with 2020/21 (21,245), it was still higher than the number recorded in 2018/19 (18,910), the last year with pre-pandemic data on qualifiers.

Mode of Study and Sex

Most qualifications were gained through full-time study, with more females graduating than males.

Almost three-quarters (74%) of the 19,505 qualifications gained by NI domiciles at UK HEIs in 2021/22 were through full-time study.

Of the 19,505 NI domiciled students gaining qualifications, around three-fifths (61%) were female.

Level of Qualification

First degrees make up the majority of qualifications gained

First degree qualifications made up three-fifths (60%) of those gained, followed by postgraduate degrees (31%) and then ‘other undergraduate’ qualifications (9%).

Figure 2: Most NI domiciled students gain their degrees from NI HEIs

NI domiciled students gaining qualifications at UK HEIs by location of study and level of qualification - 2021/22

Although the number of ‘other undergraduate’ qualifications was unchanged, fewer first degree and postgraduate qualifications were awarded during the past year.

First degree awards decreased in number by 12%, from 13,255 in 2020/21 to 11,730 in 2021/22, alongside a 3% decrease in postgraduate qualifications, from 6,220 to 6,005. The number of ‘other undergraduate’ qualifications remained unchanged (1,770).

Multiple Deprivation Measure

The highest proportion of qualifiers were from the least deprived areas of Northern Ireland

Of the 19,465 NI domiciled students for whom a Multiple Deprivation Measure (MDM) quintile could be assigned, a quarter (25%) were from the least deprived quintile (Quintile 5), while the lowest proportion (13%) were from the most deprived quintile (Quintile 1).

Figure 3: Those from the most deprived areas were less likely to have gained qualifications than those from the least deprived areas

NI domiciled students gaining qualifications at UK HEIs by mode of study and multiple deprivation measure quintile - 2021/22

Location of Study

Over a quarter of all NI domiciled students received their qualifications from GB HEIs.

27% of NI domiciled students who graduated received their qualifications from GB HEIs in 2021/22. Of the 73% who received their qualifications from NI HEIs, 3% were studying locally at the OU.

Subjects Studied

Around half of students qualified in a Broad STEM subject and a quarter in a Narrow STEM subject.

The most popular subject groups for NI students gaining qualifications at UK HEIs in 2021/22 were ‘Subjects allied to medicine’ (20%), ‘Business and management’ (11%) and ‘Social sciences’ (10%).

Figure 5: Proportion of NI domiciled students gaining qualifications at UK HEIs in Broad and Narrow STEM subjects by sex – 2021/22

STEM Qualifications Male Female Total
Broad STEM 54% 51% 52%
Narrow STEM 38% 17% 25%

Degree Classification

Over four-fifths of NI domiciled first degree qualifiers graduated with a first class or upper second class degree, down slightly from the record high of the previous year.

82% of NI domiciled first degree qualifiers achieved either a first class or upper second class honours degree. This is lower than the comparable figure of 85% seen in 2020/21, which was a record high.

Figure 6: The highest proportion of first degree qualifiers graduated with an upper second class degree

NI domiciled students gaining first degree qualifications at UK HEIs by classification - 2021/22

This decrease in the proportion achieving first or upper second class honours in 2021/22 follows the period between 2018/19 to 2019/20, which saw a substantial increase in this proportion (from 80% to 84%), and which then continued through to 2020/21 (85%).

This increase may have been due partly to the introduction of ‘no detriment’ policies by providers and the move to online examinations during the pandemic. With the resumption of more normal practice during 2021/22, the proportion of first or upper second class degrees awarded in 2021/22 (82%) has reversed some of the sharp increase seen in 2019/20.

4. Qualifiers from Northern Ireland HEIs

10 Year Trend

The number of qualifiers from NI HEIs has increased by a net 17% increase over the past decade…

The number of qualifiers from NI HEIs has increased by a net 17% over the past decade, up from 16,965 in 2012/13 to 19,900 in 2021/22.

Figure 7: 17% increase in qualifiers from NI HEIs over the decade and 2% decrease since the previous year

Qualifications gained at NI HEIs - 2012/13 to 2021/22

In terms of the level of qualification gained by students at NI HEIs, postgraduate qualifications have experienced the largest percentage increase (75%) over the last ten years, from 4,915 in 2012/13 to 8,605 in 2021/22. Qualifications in first degrees have also experienced an increase, though to a lesser extent (5%, from 9,105 in 2012/13 to 9,580 in 2021/22). In contrast, the number of qualifications gained by students enrolled on ‘other undergraduate’ courses (such as foundation degrees, HNDs and HNCs) has fallen by a net 42% over the past decade, from 2,940 in 2012/13 to 1,715 in 2021/22.

Although some of this increase in postgraduate qualifications has been due to the recent availability of postgraduate loans for NI and eligible EU students, a large part is due to the rise in the number of non-EU students receiving such awards. Over the ten-year period there was a four-fold increase in non-EU postgraduate qualifications (from 715 to 2,985). It is this increase in non-EU postgraduate qualifications that has led to the proportion of non-EU domiciled qualifiers sitting at a record high (20%).

Comparison with Previous Year

… but this was down 2% from the previous year.

At 19,900, the number of qualifications awarded at NI HEIs in 2021/22 was 2% lower than in 2020/21 (20,400). This small decrease follows a sharp increase between 2019/20 (15,985) and 2020/21 (20,400), which was due to a number of pandemic-related factors (including course extensions and delays in awards), the recent availability of postgraduate loans and an increase in international postgraduate students. Although the total number of qualifiers for 2021/22 (19,900) is down when compared with the 2020/21 (20,400) data, it is still higher than the number recorded in 2018/19 (17,095), the last year with pre-pandemic data on qualifiers.

Mode of Study and Sex

More females than males gained a qualification at NI HEIs, with the vast majority for both sexes being through full-time courses.

Almost three-quarters (74%) of the 19,900 qualifications gained by students at NI HEIs in 2021/22 were through full-time study.

More females (60%) than males (40%) gained a qualification at NI HEIs, with the vast majority for both sexes being through full-time courses.

Level of Qualification

Almost half of qualifications were at first degree level.

First degree (48%) was the most popular qualification awarded, followed by 43% awarded a postgraduate qualification and 9% awarded an ‘other undergraduate’ qualification.

Figure 8: For both males and females most qualifications were at first degree level

Students gaining qualifications at NI HEIs by level of qualification and sex - 2021/22

The increase in postgraduate qualifications awarded since the previous year contrasts with decreases in both first degree and ‘other undergraduate’ awards.

Postgraduate qualifications increased by 12%, from 7,705 in 2020/21 to 8,605 in 2021/22. However, there were 11% decreases in both first degree (from 10,780 to 9,580) and ‘other undergraduate’ awards (from 1,915 to 1,715).

This increase in postgraduate qualification awards was solely attributable to the rise in the number of qualifications awarded to non-EU students, which has seen large increases over the past couple of years. 2,985 postgraduate qualifications awarded to non-EU students in 2021/22, compared with 940 in 2019/20 and 1,530 in 2020/21. Some of this is due to the rise in qualifications awarded to students at Ulster University’s (UU) Birmingham and London campuses, with over a third (1,040 of the 2,985) postgraduate non-EU qualifications awarded to students from these campuses (up from 295 in 2020/21). These courses have been jointly developed by the UU and QA Higher Education. Although these students were based in London and Birmingham they were registered as UU students.

In comparison, postgraduate qualifications awarded to NI domiciled students decreased by 8% over the same period (from the record high of 4,835 in 2020/21 to 4,455 in 2021/22). Some of the record number in 2020/21 was due to pandemic-related factors, one of which was that short postgraduate upskilling courses were offered to those affected by the pandemic either through furlough, redundancy or those unable to gain employment in their field. The absence of these courses in 2021/22 may be partially responsible for the decrease seen in NI domiciled postgraduate qualifications. However, the 2021/22 (4,455) figure is still higher than the number awarded in 2018/19 (3,975), the last year with pre-pandemic data.

Domicile

Over a quarter of qualifiers were domiciled outside NI, the highest proportion over the 10 year period.

Over seven-tenths (71%) of students gaining a qualification at NI HEIs were from NI, while 5% were from GB, 3% from RoI, 1% from other EU countries and a record 20% from non-EU countries. The proportion of non-EU qualifiers (20%) was much higher than the comparable figure for 2020/21 (12%), largely due to the increase in postgraduate awards.

The NI HEI with the greatest proportion of qualifications gained by students from outside NI was QUB (33%), followed by UU (28%). In contrast, very few non-NI students gained qualifications from the other three NI HEIs.

Institution

Of all qualifications gained at NI HEIs in 2021/22, 47% were from Queen’s University Belfast (QUB), 46% from UU, 2% from Stranmillis University College, 1% from St Mary’s University College and 3% from the OU.

Figure 9: Students gaining qualifications at NI HEIS by institution and level of qualification – 2020/21 to 2021/22

Level of Qualification Academic Year Queen’s University Belfast Ulster University Stranmillis University College St Mary’s University College The Open University
First degree 2020/2021 4,610 5,080 285 235 565
First degree 2021/2022 4,120 4,535 295 210 415
Other undergraduate 2020/2021 1,045 625 0 0 245
Other undergraduate 2021/2022 830 725 0 0 160
Postgraduate 2020/2021 3,745 3,770 50 65 80
Postgraduate 2021/2022 4,480 3,935 55 55 80
Total 2020/2021 9,405 9,470 335 300 890
Total 2021/2022 9,425 9,195 355 265 660

Subjects Studied

Nearly half of qualifications were in a Broad STEM subject, with almost a quarter in a Narrow STEM subject.

The most popular subject groups for students gaining qualifications at NI HEIs in 2021/22 were ‘Business and management’ (21%), ‘Subjects allied to medicine’ (19%) and ‘Social sciences’ (9%).

Figure 11: Proportion of students gaining qualifications at NI HEIs in Broad and Narrow STEM subjects by sex – 2021/22

STEM Qualifications Male Female Total
Broad STEM 50% 49% 49%
Narrow STEM 35% 16% 23%

10X Skills Strategy and Economic Vision

10X Economy

In March 2022, the Department for the Economy (DfE) published Skills for a 10X Economy - Skills Strategy for Northern Ireland, “which sets out three strategic goals which, cumulatively, aim to address the skills imbalances in our economy and improve social inclusion and wellbeing across our society” and “are designed to deliver against” the Department’s new economic vision A 10X Economy – Northern Ireland’s decade of innovation.

Of these goals, Strategic Goal 1 is concerned with “increasing the proportion of individuals leaving Northern Ireland higher education institutions with first degrees and postgraduate qualifications in Narrow STEM subjects”. This proportion stood at 24% for 2021/22, which was unchanged on the 2019/20 baseline. The respective proportions by sex were 35% for males and 17% for females.

Degree Classification

Over four-fifths of first degree graduates from NI HEIs achieved either a first class or upper second class honours degree.

Over four-fifths (82%) of first degree graduates achieved either a first class or upper second class honours degree in 2021/22. This is lower than the comparable figure of 84% seen in 2020/21.

Figure 12: The highest proportion of first degree qualifiers graduated with an upper second class degree

Students gaining first degree qualifications at NI HEIs by classification - 2021/22

This decrease in the proportion achieving first or upper second class honours in 2021/22 follows the period between 2018/19 to 2019/20, which saw a substantial increase in this proportion (from 81% to 85%). This increase may have been due partly to the introduction of ‘no detriment’ policies by providers and the move to online examinations during the pandemic. With the resumption of more normal practice during 2021/22, the proportion of first and upper second class degrees awarded in 2021/22 (82%) has reversed some of the sharp increase which seen in 2019/20.

5. Interactive Tables

6. Further Information

New Publication Format and Interactive tables

This publication marks the first release of the Qualifications Bulletin in HTML format, as well as the introduction of Interactive Tables.These have been developed by Clare Kennedy, a statistician within Statistics and Research Branch (Tertiary Education). The developments use a RAP (Reproducible Analytical Pipeline) Strategy to produce higher quality, more efficient and transparent analysis.

Data Quality and Methodology

Statistics and Research Branch (Tertiary Education)

Statistics and Research Branch (Tertiary Education) is responsible for the collection, quality assurance, analysis and publication of timely and accurate information derived from a wide range of statistical information returns supplied by the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and Further Education (FE) colleges across Northern Ireland (NI) and the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA); the latter focused on NI HEIs and NI domiciled students in attendance at any UK HEI. The Head of the Branch is the Principal Statistician, Brian French. Information is disseminated through a number of key statistical publications, including: Higher Education (HE) enrolments; HE qualifications; Further Education (FE) Sector activity; and Essential Skills enrolments and outcomes.

A detailed list of these publications is available from: Higher and Further Education and Training Statistics

Data Collection

The information presented in this statistical bulletin is based on data supplied by HESA, now part of Jisc, the Designated Data Body for HE in England. HESA collects information from all publicly funded universities throughout Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales and HE providers in England registered with the Office for Students (OfS) in the Approved (fee cap) or Approved categories. These are collectively called Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the context of this bulletin. The HESA statistics presented in this bulletin relate to students at UK HEIs and, therefore, do not include HE qualifications gained at FE colleges in NI or GB, or at institutions in the Republic of Ireland (ROI).

Coverage

This statistical bulletin has been produced by the Department for the Economy (DfE) and presents information on HE qualifications gained by NI domiciled students at UK HEIs in the 2021/22 academic year, and by all students at NI HEIs in the same time period. Alternative Provider (AP) data from the HESA Student Alternative record is combined HESA Student Record data submitted by HEI providers. An AP is any provider of higher education courses: not in direct receipt of recurrent funding from UK funding bodies; not a Further Education college; and not registered as ‘approved (fee cap)’ on the OfS register.

Rounding Strategy

To prevent the identification of individuals, figures throughout the report are rounded to the nearest 5, with 0, 1, and 2 rounded to 0. Due to rounding, the sum of numbers in each row or column may not match the total shown. Percentages are calculated on unrounded data and are rounded to the nearest integer. This means percentages may not sum exactly to 100%. More information on the rounding strategy can be found in Annex C: Notes and Definitions.

Covid-19 Impact

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic was declared by the World Health Organisation in March 2020, just over halfway through the 2019/20 academic year, and impacted on qualifications in a number of ways during the rest of that academic year and into 2020/21 (see Note 6 within Annex C: Notes and Definitions). Following the rollout of Covid-19 vaccinations in the first half of 2021, the 2021/22 academic year corresponded with the beginning of a less acute phase of the pandemic. The loosening of restrictions in society corresponded with a gradual return to some pre-pandemic norms in the higher education sector. While some teaching continued to be delivered online, the year also saw the return of much face-to-face teaching, as well as the first in-person exams for many courses since the start of the pandemic.

However, the figures presented in this bulletin, in particular time series analyses, should be viewed in the context of these past pandemic-related issues and care taken with the wider interpretation of the statistics.

Annex A: Data Quality and Uses of Statistics

National Statistics

The United Kingdom Statistics Authority (the Authority) has designated these statistics as National Statistics, in accordance with the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 and signifying compliance with the Code of Practice for Statistics.

National Statistics status means that Official Statistics meet the highest standards of trustworthiness, quality and public value.

All Official Statistics should comply with all aspects of the Code of Practice. They are awarded National Statistics status following an assessment by the Authority’s regulatory arm. The Authority considers whether the statistics meet the highest standards of Code compliance, including the value they add to public decisions and debate. Designation can be broadly interpreted to mean that the statistics: meet identified user needs; are well explained and readily accessible; are produced according to sound methods; and are managed impartially and objectively in the public interest.

Once statistics have been designated as National Statistics, it is a statutory requirement that the Code of Practice shall continue to be observed. It is DfE’s responsibility to maintain compliance with the standards expected of National Statistics. If we become concerned about whether these statistics are still meeting the appropriate standards, we will discuss any concerns with the Authority promptly. National Statistics status can be removed at any point when the highest standards are not maintained and reinstated when standards are restored.

Data Quality

All information presented in this bulletin is based on data validated and quality assured by HEIs prior to submission to HESA. HEIs are given a set period of time to submit the information to HESA. Following submission, both HESA and DfE perform a series of validation checks to ensure that information is consistent both within and across returns. Trend analyses are used to monitor annual variations and emerging trends. Queries arising from validation checks are presented to HEIs for clarification and, if required, returns may be amended and/or re-submitted. Finally, prior to publication, the data are presented to HEIs for a final sign-off.

More information on the methods for collecting and analysing HEI data, the quality of HEI statistics, and links to the quality guidance used in managing the production of HEI statistics can be accessed via the link Quality of Higher Education Statistics.

Who will be interested in this bulletin?

The information presented in this statistical bulletin will be of interest to a wide variety of people. For example, the statistics within and those derived from this bulletin are currently used by: DfE policy officials in their role of assisting and advising the Minister for the Economy to discharge their duties; by the NI Assembly and its Committee for the Economy to scrutinise the HE sector; by other government departments and agencies; by prospective students to inform their choices around HE; by local businesses to quantify the supply of graduates in their business area; and by researchers and academics to try and understand the underlying trends in HE.

Main Uses of HEI statistics

The main uses of these statistics are to monitor HEI qualifications and the characteristics of NI students qualifying from UK HEIs and all students qualifying from NI HEIs. This helps in assessing HEI performance, corporate monitoring, informing and monitoring related policy, and responding to parliamentary/assembly questions and ad hoc queries from the public.

DfE is responsible for the policy, strategic development and financing of the statutory HEI sector. Analysis of data trends against key strategic priorities remain a crucial component of data development within DfE.

The bulletin and further analysis of the data provide an evidence base that is used in a number of DfE policies, strategies and reviews. Some of the most recent examples are: -

Further details on these strategies are available from the DfE website: Higher Education Strategies Northern Ireland

In addition, HEI statistics are used within other NI departments and their agencies. Some of the most recent examples are: -

  • NISRA – as a key indicator in the Education Domain of the Northern Ireland Multiple Deprivation Measure (NI MDM).
  • Department of Education (DE) – teacher demand model
  • Invest NI – to quantify the supply of graduates for potential inward investment to NI

Around 50 HEI statistical enquiries per year are received by the Department from various sources. These include requests for further breakdowns of enrolments, qualifications and destinations data.:

Annex B: Policy and Operational Context

There continues to be a lot of media interest in the HE sector and HEI statistics. With changes in fee regimes throughout the UK, fluctuations in the strength of the economy and the impact of EU exit, the demand for HE is often in the spotlight. DfE is responsible for formulating policy and administering funding to support education, research and related activities in the Northern Ireland HE sector. This bulletin forms parts of the evidence base used to evaluate and shape the strategies and policies of DfE.

Skills for a 10X Economy

In March 2022, the Department for the Economy (DfE) published Skills for a 10X Economy - Skills Strategy for Northern Ireland, “which sets out three strategic goals which, cumulatively, aim to address the skills imbalances in our economy and improve social inclusion and wellbeing across our society” and “are designed to deliver against” the Department’s new economic vision A 10X Economy – Northern Ireland’s decade of innovation.

Of these goals, Strategic Goal 1 is concerned with “increasing the proportion of individuals leaving Northern Ireland higher education institutions with first degrees and postgraduate qualifications in Narrow STEM subjects”. The baseline is set at 24% in 2019/20, with a target of 27% by 2029/30.

Draft Programme for Government (PfG) Framework (2021)

The work of the Department is shaped by the draft Programme for Government (2021), which sets the strategic direction of travel for the work of the Executive, expressed in terms of wellbeing-focused outcomes. The document identifies innovation, research and development, and skills and employability as the key drivers of achieving a strong, competitive, regionally balanced economy. Higher education has a pivotal role in supporting this aspiration, especially with regard to increasing the skills levels of the Northern Ireland workforce.

Maximum Student Number (MaSN)

Before higher education became a devolved matter, the UK Government introduced an annual cap on the number of students each UK HEI could enrol. Following devolution in 1998, the cap (known as the Maximum Student Number (MaSN)) was maintained in Northern Ireland and is still in use today.

The MaSN applies primarily to full-time home and eligible EU domiciled undergraduates enrolled in Northern Ireland. It does not curtail the recruitment of part-time or postgraduate students (with the exception of PGCE students). Nor does it curtail the recruitment of GB or international (non-EU) students.

Queen’s University Belfast and Ulster University, both approved to deliver full-time undergraduate provision, receive an annual MaSN allocation from the Department. St Mary’s University College and Stranmillis University College are not subject to MaSN as DE sets the numbers required for initial teacher training. The OU is also not subject to MaSN given its wholly part-time offering.

Part-Time and Postgraduate Student Loans

From the beginning of the 2017/18 academic year, DfE extended its student support package, with tuition fee loans being made available for part-time undergraduate and full-time distance learning study students, and postgraduate students studying certain courses.

Northern Ireland students studying part-time undergraduate (or full- time distance learning) courses in Northern Ireland, England, Wales or Scotland could apply for a tuition fee loan of up to £3,397.50 for the 2021/22 academic year. Those starting Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma, or Taught or Research Master’s courses in Northern Ireland, England, Wales or Scotland could apply for a loan of up to £5,500 per course to help with fee costs. For both types of loans, the fees are paid direct to the university to cover tuition fees.

Annex C: Notes and Definitions

NOTES

  1. The information presented in this statistical bulletin is based on data supplied by HESA, now part of Jisc, the Designated Data Body for HE in England. HESA collects information from all publicly funded universities throughout Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales and Higher Education (HE) providers in England registered with the Office for Students (OfS) in the Approved (fee cap) or Approved categories. These are collectively called Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the context of this bulletin. The HESA data presented in this bulletin relate to students at UK HEIs and, therefore, do not include HE qualifications gained at FE colleges in NI or GB, the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) or at institutions in the Republic of Ireland.

  2. The Department for the Economy (DfE) also publishes information on HE qualifications gained at FE colleges in NI in its Further Education Sector Activity statistical bulletin.

  3. Further statistics on the Northern Ireland HEI sector, including enrolments, graduate destinations and various higher education fact sheets can be downloaded from the Department’s Higher Education Statistics and Research website.

  4. Allocation of OU students – The Open University’s administrative centre is based in the south east of England. However, qualifications registered at one of the OU’s national centres in Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland contribute to the totals of those countries where statistics are shown by country of provider. Please note that all non-UK domicile OU students and those who study at postgraduate research level are registered to England.

  5. Subject coding - 2019/20 saw the introduction of a new subject coding system, the Higher Education Classification of Subjects (HECoS). This replaced the previous subject coding system, the Joint Academic Coding System (JACS) used in years prior to 2019/20. In addition to HECoS, a Common Aggregation Hierarchy (CAH) was introduced to provide a standardised hierarchical aggregation of HECoS codes suitable for the majority of users. The CAH was developed to provide standard groupings that could be applied to both HECoS and JACS allowing for consistent analysis across coding frames. It is important to remember though that these are two distinct coding frames.

CAH was subsequently updated from version 1.2 to version 1.3.4 in 2020/21, which has resulted in some minor changes to the categories. CAH v1.3.4 was introduced to increase the usefulness and intelligibility of detailed subject groupings, but at the highest level of aggregation it provides similar insights to CAH v1.2. For more information, please refer to HESA’s webpage on HECoS and CAH.

Where information on subject area is provided in this bulletin and associated interactive tables, it is based on CAH v1.3.4 level 1, comprising 21 groups; for the purposes of STEM analysis, Geography, earth and environmental studies has been split into natural sciences and social sciences.

  1. Covid-19 Impact – There were a number of known areas in which the Covid-19 pandemic had some impact in regard to qualifications both within NIHEIs and across the UK:

  1. Both QUB and UU experienced a delay in awarding some qualifications in 2019/20, which were subsequently reported in 2020/21. For QUB, specifically, there was a large increase in the number of ‘Other Undergraduate’ qualifications across this period, which consisted largely of part-time Nursing (Continuing Professional Development) students.

  2. Other known Covid-19 related factors reported by QUB and UU that accounted for the increase in qualifications between 2019/20 and 2020/21 included the fact that some students on courses that included a sandwich year did not partake in this and so brought forward their exams by a year. Also, short upskilling postgraduate courses were offered to those affected by the pandemic either through furlough, redundancy or those unable to gain employment in their field.

  3. In relation to classifications of first degrees and other awards, many providers issued public statements at the start of the pandemic that a ‘no detriment’ approach would be adopted when it came to assessment. This typically ensured that students would be awarded a final grade no lower than the most recent provider assessment of their attainment. This is likely to have contributed to the increase in the proportion of first degree graduates achieving either a first class or upper second class honours degree during that academic year. Although many of the blanket ‘no detriment’ policies were discontinued at the end of the 2019/20 academic year, many providers instituted modified mitigation policies designed to take into consideration the ongoing difficulties faced by students. The continuation of these mitigation policies, coupled with changes in assessment practices (such as online instead of in-person exams), was reflected in the degree classifications awarded in 2020/21. As a result, the proportion of first class degrees awarded across the UK in 2020/21 was slightly higher than that in 2019/20 and much higher than that in the last pre-pandemic academic year. More normal practice was resumed in 2021/22

  1. In 2019/20, The Open University underreported the number of qualifications awarded due to administrative delays resulting from changes to assessment timetabling. This subsequent awarding of these qualifications in the 2020/21 academic year, combined with the underreporting the previous year, resulted in a large increase in the number of qualifications awarded by this provider between 2019/20 and 2020/21. Most of this increase was seen among part-time undergraduate students.

  2. Figures for 2021/22 reported in this bulletin are counts of student enrolments associated with the award of HE qualifications during the period 1 August 2021 to 31 July 2022 inclusive.

  3. Rounding Strategy – DfE conforms to the HESA rounding strategy. Due to the provisions of the Data Protection Act (2018) and the Human Rights Act (1998), HESA (and therefore DfE) implements a strategy, in published and released tabulations, designed to prevent the disclosure of personal information about any individual. This strategy involves rounding all numbers to the nearest 5, and suppressing percentages and averages based on small populations.

A full list of the rounding strategy includes:

  • 0, 1 and 2 are rounded to 0;
  • all other numbers are rounded to the nearest multiple of 5;
  • percentages based on fewer than 22.5 individuals are suppressed;
  • averages based on a small group of people (7 or fewer) are also suppressed;
  • percentages and averages are based on unrounded figures;
  • percentages are rounded to the nearest integer

Total figures are also subject to this rounding methodology; so the sum of numbers in each row or column may not match the total shown. Similarly, percentages may not sum to 100%.

DEFINITIONS

  1. Higher Education

For the purpose of HESA’s data collection, HE students for are those on courses for which the level of instruction is above that of Level 3 of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) National Qualifications Framework (NQF) (for example, courses at the level of Certificate of HE and above).

  1. Level of qualification gained

  1. First degrees include: first degrees with or without eligibility to register to practice with a health or social care or veterinary statutory regulatory body; first degrees with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)/registration with a General Teaching Council (GTC); enhanced first degrees; first degrees obtained concurrently with a diploma; and intercalated first degrees.

  2. ‘Other undergraduate’ includes qualification aims equivalent to and below first degree level, such as: Professional Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE); foundation degrees; diplomas in HE with eligibility to register to practice with a Health or Social Care or veterinary statutory regulatory body; Higher National Diploma (HND); Higher National Certificate (HNC); Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE); Certificate of Higher Education (CertHE); foundation courses at HE level; NVQ/SVQ levels 4 and 5; post-degree diplomas and certificates at undergraduate level; professional qualifications at undergraduate level; ‘other undergraduate’ diplomas and certificates, including post registration health and social care courses; other formal HE qualifications of less than degree standard; institutional undergraduate credit; and no formal undergraduate qualifications.

  3. Postgraduate programmes of study are those leading to higher degrees, diplomas and certificates (including Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) and professional qualifications) and usually require that entrants are already qualified to degree level (that is, already qualified at Level 6 of the QCA NQF).

  • Higher degrees include doctorates, master’s degrees and higher bachelor’s degrees.
  • Other postgraduate includes postgraduate diplomas, certificates and professional qualifications and PGCE.
  1. Mode of study

  1. Full-time students are those normally required to attend an Institution for periods amounting to at least 24 weeks within the year of study, on thick or thin sandwich courses, and those on a study-related year out of their institution. During that time, students are normally expected to undertake periods of study, tuition or work experience, which amount to an average of at least 21 hours per week. Applicable to the HESA qualifications obtained population, full-time students also include awards from dormant and writing-up status where the student’s mode of study was previously full-time.

  2. Part-time students are those recorded as studying part-time, or studying full-time on courses lasting less than 24 weeks, on block release, or studying during the evenings only. Applicable to the HESA qualifications obtained population, part-time students also include awards from dormant and writing-up status where the student’s mode of study was previously part-time, and awards given to those on sabbatical.

  1. Sex identifier

In line with AdvanceHE’s guidance on equality monitoring (related primarily to the Equality Act 2010), HESA has included ‘other’ as a valid entry alongside ‘male’ and ‘female’ for its sex identifier variable. Due to small numbers and issues of disclosure, students of ‘other’ sex are included in total figures, but not in separate breakdowns in this publication and associated tables.

  1. Classification of first degrees

The classification of a first degree indicates the qualification class that the student obtained. Certain qualifications obtained at first degree level are not subject to classification of the award, notably medical and general degrees. These, together with ordinary degrees and aegrotat qualifications, have been included within the ‘unclassified’ category. Third class honours and the pass category have been aggregated as ‘third class/pass’. Lower second and undivided second class honours have been aggregated as ‘second class, lower division’. The percentage calculations included in this bulletin are expressed excluding unclassified first degrees.

  1. Domicile

Domicile refers to a student’s permanent place of residence prior to enrolment on a course. Student enrolments recorded with domicile UK region unknown, Channel Islands and Isle of Man are included in the GB category for the purposes of this bulletin.

  1. Academic year

The academic year runs from 1st August to 31st July.

  1. STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths Qualifications

The STEM groupings used in this bulletin are based on the approach developed by HESA to categorise subjects into science/non-science subjects. Their science grouping is an aggregation of relevant CAH v1.3.4 level 1 subject codes (derived from HECoS), with the exception of CAH26 (Geography, earth and environmental studies), which has been split into natural sciences and social sciences. The natural science element is categorised into the science grouping and the social sciences element into the non-science grouping.

Narrow STEM includes the following subject areas: Biological and sports sciences; Psychology; Physical sciences; Mathematical sciences; Engineering and technology; Computing; and Geography, earth and environmental studies (natural sciences).

Broad STEM includes all those in Narrow STEM along with the following: Medicine and dentistry; Subjects allied to medicine; Veterinary sciences; Agriculture, food and related studies; and Architecture, building and planning.

  1. Multiple Deprivation Measure (MDM)

The analysis presented in section 3- Multiple Deprivation Measure utilises five groups (quintiles) of Super Output Areas (SOAs) across NI. These five groups are determined based on relative level of deprivation using the NI Multiple Deprivation Measure (NI MDM) 2017.

SOAs ranked 1 to 178 form the most deprived quintiles relative to all other SOAs. Those ranked 713 to 890 are the most affluent relative to all other SOAs. SOA is determined using the valid postcode provided on the enrolment record.

NI MDM 2017 is a weighted combination of the seven domains of deprivation. The Income and Employment Deprivation domains account for nearly 50% of the multiple deprivation measure. The Health and Disability Domain, and Education, Skills and Training Deprivation Domain combined account for a further 30%, and the remainder is made up of the Access to Services, Living Environment and Crime and Disorder Domains.

For further details on deprivation measurement in NI please follow this link: NI MDM 2017

Contact Details

Further details, and feedback, on any of the statistics in this statistical bulletin can be obtained from:

Michael MacNeill – Michael.MacNeill@economy-ni.gov.uk (Tel: 028 90 257897)

Kerry McColgan – Kerry.McColgan@economy-ni.gov.uk (Tel: 028 90 257753)

Conor Gallagher – Conor.Gallagher@economy-ni.gov.uk (Tel: 028 90 257825)

Media enquiries should be made to the Department’s Press Office

Tel: (028) 9052 9604, Email: pressoffice@economy-ni.gov.uk

This statistical bulletin and others published by Statistics and Research Branch (Tertiary Education) are available to download free from the Higher Education Statistics and Research website.

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© Crown copyright 2023 The Northern Ireland Multiple Deprivation Measure (NIMDM) and other NI geographical indicators are based ON Crown Copyright and are reproduced with the permission of Land and Property Services under delegated authority from the Keeper of Public Records, © Crown copyright and database rights NIMA Licence MOU577.3 (2023).

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