30 uni courses that are way, way less popular in the UK now than five years ago
Very few students are bothered to study languages now
Erm, several UK uni courses are way less popular than they used to be. 50 per cent fewer freshers are signing up to some subjects than five years ago. Honestly, what did health studies do wrong?
Now, the overall number of uni students in the UK has risen over the last five years. In 2019, 541,240 freshers who applied through UCAS began undergrad degrees. In 2024, 564,940 did. But some subjects have seen a real drop-off in numbers over the last few years.
Loads of language courses at UK unis have seen a dramatic decrease in numbers. These subjects are becoming so unpopular that some Russell Group unis are contemplating joining up their language courses with each other in an attempt to save money. It’s also pretty alarming that there’s been a really big reduction in people starting nursing and education courses, since those uni degrees are, like, actually important.
At the other end, apparently all the cool kids are now applying for law, business studies and psychology. These are now the most popular degrees at UK unis.
These figures are based on data from UCAS. Subjects are ranked by how fewer students were accepted onto undergrad courses at UK unis in 2024, compared to in 2019. The vast majority of students use UCAS, although approximately a third in Scotland don’t (so they’re not included in these numbers).
So, here are the 30 UK uni courses that have become way less popular over the last five years, ranked by the decrease in freshers:
30. Nursing (non-specific) – 16.8 per cent decrease
2,025 to 1,685
29. Nutrition and dietetics – 17.5 per cent
1,545 to 1,275
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You’d think students would be buzzing to do degrees in food
28. English studies – 17.8 per cent decrease
4,555 to 3,745
27. Learning disabilities nursing – 18.2 per cent decrease
660 to 540 students
26. Education – 20.3 per cent decrease
7,730 to 6,160 students
25. Environmental and public health – 21.1 per cent decrease
640 to 505 students
24. Social sciences (non-specific) – 21.8 per cent decrease
2,115 to 1,655 students
23. Food and beverage studies – 23.3 per cent
150 to 115 students
What do you mean, you can study drinking at uni?
22. Italian studies – 27.0 per cent decrease
185 to 135 students
21. Social policy – 27.5 per cent decrease
1,800 to 1,305 students
20. Information technology – 29.4 per cent
1,140 to 805 students
19. African and modern Middle Eastern studies – 30.0 per cent decrease
250 to 175 students
18. Genetics – 30.8 per cent decrease
390 to 270 students
17. Naval architecture – 33.3 per cent decrease
75 to 50 students
16. Publicity studies – 34.4 per cent decrease
320 to 210 students
15. Iberian studies – 33.6 per cent decrease
1,220 to 810 students
14. Planning (urban, rural and regional) – 34.6 per cent decrease
1,185 to 775 students
13. French studies – 34.8 per cent
1,150 to 750 students
But if you study French, you surely appreciate Emily In Paris on a whole new level?
12. German and Scandinavian studies – 34.9 per cent decrease
430 to 280 students
11. English language – 35.3 per cent decrease
1,160 to 750 students
10. Human resource management – 37.8 per cent
1,165 to 725 students
9. Cultural studies – 39.3 per cent decrease
305 to 185 students
8. Asian studies – 40.5 per cent decrease
975 to 580 students
7. Business computing – 41.0 per cent decrease
1,415 to 835 students
6. Childhood and youth studies – 45.0 per cent decrease
5,030 to 2,765 students
5. Performing arts (non-specific) – 46.1 per cent
770 to 415 students
4. Publishing – 50.0 per cent
15o to 75 students
3. Health studies – 50.1 per cent decrease
6,410 to 3,200 decrease
2. American and Australasian studies – 65.9 per cent decrease
410 to 140 students
1. Hair and beauty sciences – 70.6 per cent
85 to 25 students
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