These are the most unpopular UK uni subjects which barely any students want to apply for

Guess everyone hates animals


If you’ve ever felt like geography students are a complete enigma, or that vet med students are a myth, you’re not entirely wrong. The number of students who choose different uni subjects varies massively. Here are the most unpopular UK uni subjects right now.

Tote bag wielding humanities girlies are constantly complaining that the arts are dying out in this country, and the data shows they’re not entirely wrong. Media, journalism, history, philosophy, religion and languages have all made this list of least studied subjects. UK unis

Barely any students do degrees in agriculture and food studies. Although, this might not be because students don’t want to learn about food, but because very few UK unis are offering courses in farming this side of the industrial revolution.

The least popular subject is veterinary medicine. I guess nobody with a soul wants to be around dying animals? Geography is also pretty unpopular. Only 12,325 people study it as a humanities subject, and only 33,270 people do it as a science. I suppose if you’re skilled at colouring, you might as well do art and have a nice time?

This data comes from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). It refers to the number of students who enrolled in UK unis last year.

So, here are the most unpopular UK uni subjects in 2024:

12. Language and area studies – 84,890 students

11. Medicine and dentistry – 84,230 students

10. Historical, philosophical and religious studies – 79,040 students

most unpopular uk uni subjects

Humanities girlies unite

9. Architecture, building and planning – 67,035 students

8. Physical sciences – 66,305 students

7. Combined and general studies – 50,805 students

6. Media, journalism and communications – 48,435 students

5. Mathematical sciences – 46,090 students

4. Geography, earth and environmental studies (natural sciences) – 33,270 students

3. Agriculture, food and related studies – 19,805 students

2. Geography, earth and environmental studies (social sciences) – 12,325 students

1. Veterinary sciences – 12,280 students

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