Languages in Higher Education 2008

This page provides details of student numbers and graduate destinations from the Higher Education Statistics Agency. It has been analysed and presented by Youping Han from CILT, the National Centre for Languages. This data is the latest as of January 2010.

Contents

Summary

HE Language Students in the UK

First destinations of first-degree language students, 2007-08

Summary

The data came from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Student Records of individual enrolments at HE institutions and was analysed by CILT, the National Centre for Languages.

Please note that the accuracy of the data depends on how individual institutions code and report their figures to HESA.

All figures are rounded for publishing, hence, the sum of numbers in each row or column rarely matches the total shown precisely. Percentages are calculated on the raw data.

How many HE students graduated with a language subject in the UK, in 2008?

The total number of language students graduated in 2008 from all Higher Education Institutions in the UK was 11,610. This figure includes postgraduates (2,780) and undergraduates (8,830) who had studied a language as a single honours, major honours, one of a joint double, one of a triple or as a minor subject combination.

This includes10,025 UK students (86%) and 1,585 EU domiciled graduates (14%). The majority were female (70%) and had studied full time (91%).

Source: CILT headcount analysis of HESA graduate data.

UK and EU domiciled, full and part time, undergraduate and postgraduate students

Qualification obtained
/ 2008 graduates
Postgraduate degree / 1355
Higher degree taught / 1115
Higher degree research / 240
PGCE / 1200
Other PG / 225
First Degree / 8220
Single hons / 2590
Joint hons / 4110
Major/minor hons / 1105
Triple hons / 415
Other undergraduate / 610
TOTAL / 11610

In which languages?

Compared to its previous year, increases were particularly seen in the number of students graduated in French studies and Translation studies/theories. Decreases were particularly seen in German studies.

UK and EU domiciled, full and part time, undergraduate and postgraduate students

(Ordered in highest Number change)

06-07 / 07-08 / Number change
R1 French studies / 3665 / 4080 / 410
Q91 92 Translation studies or theory / 325 / 465 / 140
T2 Japanese studies / 145 / 190 / 45
R3 Italian studies / 335 / 360 / 25
Q5 Celtic Studies / 445 / 450 / 0
T3 South Asian studies / 90 / 90 / 0
R6 Scandinavian studies / 35 / 25 / -10
T1 Chinese studies / 215 / 199 / -15
T5 African studies / 95 / 80 / -15
T6 Modern Middle Eastern studies / 290 / 270 / -20
R5 Portuguese studies / 50 / 25 / -25
R4 Spanish studies / 1520 / 1495 / -25
R7 Russian and East European studies / 305 / 280 / -30
R2 German studies / 1090 / 980 / -110
R9 Others European languages and related / 2395 / 2230 / -165
T4 Other Asian studies / 45 / 30 / -15
T9 Others Non-European languages and related / 345 / 130 / -215
R8 European studies / N/A / 240 / N/A
Total / 11395 / 11610 / 215

Other data

HE Language Students in the UK.

Includes data from 2002-03 to 2007-08 by language, gender and type (single honours/ joint honours etc.). Includes notes on using the data.

[CILT Analysis 2002-03 to 2007-08. pdf]

First destinations of first-degree language students, 2007-08

(survey carried out 6 months after graduation) [first destination survey.doc]