Sussex University acceptances rise for eighth year running

Sussex University said that the number of students accepting a place at the Falmer campus had risen for the eighth year in a row.

It said that business, computing, engineering and social sciences courses had reported record numbers.

The claims were based on figures published by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) yesterday (Wednesday 21 January).

Sussex was one of only two universities to report eight years of successive growth. Exeter was the other.

It said: “Figures show, despite fierce competition between universities to attract new students, Sussex has seen the number of undergraduates admitted rise by 45 per cent between 2006 and 2014.

“This compares to a national increase of around 31 per cent.”

Rob Evans, head of admissions at Sussex, said: “The popularity of Sussex is proving resilient in what continues to be a tough competitive environment.

“We believe the quality of our courses and our beautiful campus location on the edge of Brighton has proved a winning combination.”

The university said: “The UCAS figures show Sussex has consistently increased the number of offers it converts into acceptances while, at the same time, admitting the brightest of students and an increasing cohort of ‘First-Generation Scholars’.”

First-Generation Scholars is the scheme used by Sussex to provide support for students with no family background of higher education or from lower income backgrounds.

The scholarships are worth £5,000 to £8,000 a week for students whose family income is less than £42,600.

They include the option of a £50 a week rent reduction in the first year, bringing the cheapest campus rents down to about £35 a week.

Mr Evans said: “It’s not only our numbers that have increased over the years. The quality of those admitted has also improved, with increasing offer levels and higher average grades on entry.

“We’re delighted to attract so many excellent students to Sussex.”

The university also pointed to figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). These indicated that 96 per cent of Sussex graduates were in work or further study six months after gaining their first degree.

Sussex was ranked fourth in Britain on this measure in 2014.