Last year’s post-Brexit decline is reversed as Ucas receives more than 61,000 applications by early October deadline

Britain’s universities appear to have avoided a repeat of last year’s post-Brexit slump in applications, with figures showing record numbers of students competing for prestigious Oxbridge and medical school places.

Led by increases in prospective students from inside and outside the European Union, as well as higher numbers applying from England and Wales, Ucas received more than 61,000 applications for places by its early October deadline.

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.

“At a time of uncertainty it’s encouraging that UK higher education remains so attractive, not only to UK students but also those from EU countries and internationally,” said Clare Marchant, the Ucas chief executive.

“However, we’ll need to wait until after the 15 January 2018 deadline to understand what the overall demand for UK higher education looks like,” she added.

MPs demand urgent action from Oxbridge to widen admissions base Read more

The early deadline is reserved for applications to high-demand courses requiring interviews and entrance exams, such as medicine, dentistry and veterinary sciences, as well as undergraduate courses at Oxford and Cambridge universities.

About a third of the October deadline applicants are applying to study medicine. This year there were nearly 21,000 applicants to medical schools, the largest number since 2014.

The improvement in both EU and non-EU numbers comes after UK universities have ramped up their overseas student recruitment strategies. Many universities that had placed little effort into recruiting EU students – for which they receive the same tuition fees as UK students – have become more active in the past year, to prepare for post-Brexit competition.

International students from outside the EU saw the biggest surge as their numbers rose by 12% – an additional 1,350 applications – well above the increases of about 1% seen in recent years.

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.

“With 6,610 applicants at the October 15 deadline, there are more applicants domiciled in the EU than in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales combined,” Ucas analysts noted.

The large increases in terms of numbers came from England, with a 7% rise compared with the previous year. That means about 2,500 more students from England are applying to the most competitive courses, adding to the highest total in five years.

In particular there was a 13% increase in first-time applicants in England applying to medical schools and associated courses – suggesting that any fears over the NHS’s future are not dissuading students from a career in medicine.

A report by the Sutton Trust published on Thursday suggests that some prestigious courses could be even more competitive if universities were willing to tailor their admissions to help disadvantaged applicants.

The report argues that lowering A-level requirements for disadvantaged pupils by just two grades – such as ABB rather than AAA grades – could lead to a 50% increase in the number of pupils on free school meals being admitted to leading universities.

The Sutton Trust said that while many universities already use social and economic contexts in making offers, most give little or no information to applicants about which factors they look at.

“This lack of transparency means that potentially eligible students – often those with fewer networks and least access to information – may be unaware that they could benefit,” the trust said.