University sees sharp drop in student numbers

The University of the Highlands and Islands has faced challenges

The University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) saw its student numbers fall by more than 6,000 in one academic year, according to Freedom of Information (FOI) figures.

UHI is a network of colleges and teaching centres across the Highlands, Islands, Moray and Perthshire.

Student numbers - across all courses - dropped from 42,255 in 2022/23 to 36,142 the following academic year.

A UHI spokesperson said the figures reflected broader sector challenges, including demographic shifts, increased competition for students and the impact of the Covid pandemic.

The BBC FOI figures show it is not the first time numbers have dropped sharply, with a similar fall between 2018/19 and 2019/20.

Numbers remained higher than they were at the peak of the Covid crisis in 2020/21 when they fell below 33,000.

The findings come amid financial challenges across the university sector in Scotland, with some institutions facing job losses and questions about their future.

UHI has faced funding issues, merging colleges in north Highland, west Highland and the Western Isles in 2023.

A spokesperson said the university was seeing "encouraging signs of recovery" after a post-pandemic decline in several high-volume, full-time undergraduate programmes.

UHI explained: "Over the past two years, growth in graduate apprenticeships, transnational education, and continued strong performance in areas such as creative industries, humanities and healthcare have helped drive a return toward previous full-time equivalent (FTE) levels."

Mike Williamson, from the University and College Union Scotland, said it was vital UHI was made more secure and stable.

"UHI is currently discussing how it adapts to changing circumstances," he said.

"UHI has cut staff on several occasions over the past three years.

"We're in redundancy avoidance talks with the university right now. It's as a direct result of student numbers going down."

A spokesperson for the university said it had been investing resources into student recruitment.