Surge in CAO applications for law and science degrees

Law and science degrees are growing significantly in popularity with prospective college students, according to Central Applications Office (CAO) data.

However, teaching and engineering are among disciplines on which fewer applicants are pinning their hopes. Nearly 2,700 of the 65,294 students listing an honours (level 8) degree on their CAO applications up to last week want most to study law. This first-preference figure is up 9% on last year, while the number mentioning a law degree anywhere on their level 8 application lists is up 7% to 14,509.

The total number of applicants to the CAO to date is 76,086, just five more than a year ago. The 14,459 whose first preference is an arts or social science degree is 53 more than last year, and they make up 22% of all level 8 applicants, making it the most popular category.

The social science category of courses is second most popular among those applying to ordinary degree and higher certificate (levels 7 and 6) courses. They were the first preference of 4,699 (14%) of level 7/6 applicants, but more than 11,000 (32%) listed an administration or business programme as their top choice. Business degrees are next in order of preference after arts and social science applicants, with first preferences rising 2% to 11,021.

Over 8,500 CAO applicants have put a science degree as their top choice, 4% more than in 2016. However, first-preference applications to level 8 degrees in engineering and technology — disciplines which have also been the subject of industry and government campaigns for students to pursue — are down 5% to 6,838. There was a bigger drop, by 7% to 34,850, in the number listing one of those courses anywhere in their choice of up to 10 honours degrees.

The popularity of teacher training programmes is down slightly, with students choosing them as their first-preference falling 3% to 4,686, although level 8 education degrees are still the top choice of 7% of applicants at that level.

First-preferences for nursing degrees have dropped 10% to 5,376, but the CAO highlights that the removal of a separate application process for mature applicants to nursing may be a factor.