§ Mr. WigginTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what research his Department has commissioned on changes in results achieved on university courses over the last 10 years. [185198]
§ Alan JohnsonInformation on the degree classifications of newly qualified graduates has been collected and published annually since 1994/95 by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) at www.hesa.ac.uk. The latest figures show that, in 2002/03, 55 per cent. of graduates gained a first class or upper second class degree, compared to 47 per cent. in 1994/95.
§ Chris GraylingTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students were offered university places for 2003–04; how many students took up places at universities in 2003–04; and how many students dropped out during the academic year 2003–04. [183640]
§ Alan JohnsonDetails of the offers made to students are matters for individual institutions and are not held centrally. The latest information from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) shows that 646,000 students began undergraduate courses in English institutions in autumn 2003/04. Information on the non-completion rates of these students is not yet available, but the latest figures from HEFCE (based on students entering in 2000/01) indicate that 16 per cent. of full-time first degree students in the UK did not complete their studies.