Undergraduate applications at the University of Cambridge have fallen by 5% this year, to roughly 21,500 applicants.

This is the second year in a row that applications to study at Cambridge have fallen, following a drop of 0.4% last year.

Similar trends were reported at the University of Oxford, which saw a decrease in applicants of 2.6%.

The 5% fall in Cambridge applications was driven by a 7% decrease in applications from UK students. At Oxford, UK applications increased by 0.4%, with an overall 2.6% decline in applications being driven by a 12.2% drop in EU applications, and a 6.4% fall in overseas applications as a whole.

In a statement last Thursday (27/10), UCAS Chief Executive Clare Marchant said: “this year is another unique cycle influenced by many external factors as young people consider their choices against a backdrop of rising living costs.”

This statement comes after real term student loan decreases due to ongoing inflation.

The 2023 cohort is also expected to be the first to have the longer student loan payback period of 40 years, instead of the 30 year deadline set for students on existing plans.  They are also expected to have a lower salary threshold for paying back their loans, of £25,000 compared to the current £27,500.

Kevin Gilmartin, from the Association of School and College Leaders, said that while the fall “may partially reflect measures on grading standard which mean fewer students will achieve the top A-level grades next year, it may also reflect the cost of living crisis which is impacting on households, particularly in terms of disadvantaged students.”