Ucas boss: Spike in demand for university places expected by 2025

There will be a huge spike in demand for university places, the boss of admissions service Ucas has said.

Clare Marchant, chief executive of Ucas, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the rise was a "testament to the success of UK higher education".

The number of applicants is expected to rise from around 700,000 a year to more than a million in the next four years.

"Demand from 18-year-olds is rising, there's a demographic increase and international attractiveness."

'Obvious career path'

Competition for university places is already growing, with statistics showing a 4% rise in applicants this year compared to 2020.

Marchant said there's been "more attraction to courses which have an obvious career path", such as law, nursing, computing and teaching.

Total applications for nursing have risen by 32% compared to the year before, according to Ucas.

Clare says students are "more positive than ever" about going to universities

The number of international students is also expected to increase, with some concerns they could take places which might have otherwise gone to UK students.

"What universities are trying to do is make sure they have diversity on their courses, which enriches the whole learning experience."

She adds that in such a competitive environment, however, it's important for students to have other options.

And even though apprenticeship starts are down compared to earlier years, Clare says there is "an increasing appetite" for them, despite issues with course availability and type.

• 'I regret not doing my apprenticeship sooner'

• Hairdressers warn of apprenticeship crisis

"We know 50% of people that come to Ucas are interested in degrees and higher apprenticeships."

She says it's important for those other options to be shown to students when they are making decisions about GCSEs early in secondary school.

"I think the key thing is giving students all of the options in a very transparent way," she added.

Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.