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Both the University’s (UoS) and the HE sector benchmark data (Source: Advance HE Staff statistical report 2022) is drawn from the Higher Education Statistical Agency (HESA) staff return, allowing effective comparisons with the benchmark data.
The HESA standard registration population is derived from the HESA student record, from all registered higher education and further education student instances active at a reporting institution in the reporting period 1 August to 31 July, following courses that lead to the award of a qualification or institutional credit.
The HESA standard registration population forms the basis for most counts of first year and continuing student instances. The following students are included as standard in HESA populations:
25% of the University’s students were aged 21 and under in 2021/22. This figure has decreased year on year (from 29% in 2019/20, and all the way from 50% in 2015/16).
Table 1 shows that the age profile of University students does differ by degree level and study mode but there are also significant differences between campuses. Nearly half of London students are 36 and over (43%) compared to only 21% of Sunderland students. Conversely 32% of Sunderland students are 21 and under compared to 6% of London students.
This year 61.3% of students at the University are female. This is the first decrease after years of continual growth since 2013/14. The proportion of female students across the sector has increased to previous levels, after a dip last year. Despite the changes closing the gap between the sector and the University, it remains quite wide (57.2% in comparison). The decrease in the University’s figure is due to a decrease at London (to 58.6% from 60.7%). Sunderland’s proportion has actually increased (to 62.1% from 61.7%).
In terms of attainment rates, although females across the sector are more likely to achieve a First or 2.1 compared to males (83.9% versus 80.6%), the attainment rates are almost identical at both campuses (excluding unclassified).
The proportion of students with a disability at the University this year is 6.9%. This is the third consecutive decrease (from 9.5% in 2020/21) after several years of growth. The growth in the sector has continued however with the proportion of disabled students now at 15.2%. This puts both campuses significantly below the sector (8.5% at Sunderland and at 2.3% London).
Excluding unclassified, non-disabled students are more likely to achieve a First or 2.1 compared to disabled students (73.4% versus 70.5%). This is in line with the sector, although the gap between the sector rates is narrower (82.7% versus 81.8%). When looking at the campuses in isolation however, London does not follow the trend (80.6% of disabled students attained a First or 2.1 compared to 78.2% of non-disabled students).
Mental Health condition remains the most common disability amongst students at the University (24.8% of disabled students which is down from 32.4% last year). At London however, long standing illness is the most common disability (20.7% of students) and across the sector it is Specific learning difficulty (32.6% of disabled students).
The proportion of BAME students at the University, looking only at those from the UK, and excluding unknowns, is 24.0%. This is an increase from 23.4% in 2020/21 and takes the University slightly closer to the proportion across the sector (25.9%). The University’s proportion of international students however is higher than the sector. 25.1% of students are from overseas, 3.6% being from the EU. This compares to 22.0% of students across the sector being from outside the UK, 5.6% being from the EU (excluding unknowns).
If you look at the two campuses separately however the figures vary considerably. The proportion of UK domiciled BAME students at London is 41.9% compared to 17.4% at Sunderland. The proportion of international students however is lower at London (20.9% versus 26.6%).
Excluding unclassified, White students are more likely to achieve a First or 2.1 compared to BAME students (77.1% versus 70.4%). This is also witnessed across the sector (85.7% versus 76.7%).
The trend is also seen at both campuses (74.7% versus 66.8% at Sunderland and 84.8% versus 72.0% at London).
‘Christian’ is the option selected by the largest number of students at the University, being selected by more students than those following no religion or than those following all the remaining religions combined. Excluding unknowns, the proportion of Christians has increased since last year (46.7% versus 45.5%), as has the proportion of students following any other religion (19.5% versus 17.2%). This demonstrates that faith, particularly Christianity, is of growing importance to students.
The figures vary significantly between campuses, however. Excluding unknowns, 68.6% of students at London are Christian compared to only 39.3% at Sunderland. Only 4.4% follow ‘No religion’ at London whereas this figure is 43.7% in Sunderland. Sunderland is more in line with the rest of the sector where ‘No religion’ was the most popular option (48.3%) with ‘Christian’ coming second (31.6%).
Of those students that did provide this data, 10.6% declared a Sexual Orientation other than heterosexual. This is the same proportion as across the sector. This is an increase for the University (from 10.1% last year) after several years of decline. Levels are not what there were previously however (the peak in 2017/18 was 12.2%) and the continued increase across the sector (from 9.3% last year and from 6.8% in 2017/18) means the sector has now caught up with the University.
The figures differ between the two campuses with 11.7% of declared sexualities at Sunderland being non-heterosexual compared to 7.1% at London which ranks Sunderland above the sector average but London below it.
The University will continue to review and use its data analysis to inform policy, practice and support to students and staff as part of its ongoing commitment to ensuring that its diverse student and staff population are fully supported.