‘Clear ambitions’ needed on boosting nursing student numbers

The government has been urged to ensure more students choose a career in nursing, after latest data shows minimal growth in those accepted onto programmes in England and Northern Ireland and a decline elsewhere in the UK.

Data from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service released today on A Level results day shows just 18,300 students have been accepted onto nursing programmes in the UK – down from 18,450 at this point last year (-1%). It is expected that numbers will increase during the clearing process.

Once again there has been a significant decline in the number of mature students choosing a career in nursing – with the number of those aged 30-34 being accepted onto a course falling by 14.5% and those aged 35 and dropping by 8%.

When broken down into the devolved nations, data shows that the number of people accepted onto nursing courses in England is up marginally by just 1% – from 13,870 in 2024 to 14,030 in 2025.

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Today’s figures also show that just 40 more domestic students have been accepted onto nursing courses in England compared with 2024 – up from 13, 360 to 13,400.

Elsewhere in the UK, the number of those accepted onto nursing courses in Northern Ireland has increased from 640 to 660 (up 3%).

Meanwhile, a decline has been recorded in both Wales and Scotland at this stage in the clearing process.

Wales has seen the number of acceptances drop by 15% – down from 980 in 2024 to 830 in 2025.

Meanwhile, in Scotland there has been a 6% fall in those accepted onto nursing courses for 2025 – down from 2,960 in 2024 to 2,790 in 2025.

Royal College of Nursing (RCN) chief executive and general secretary Professor Nicola Ranger urged the government to ‘prioritise’ ensuring more students chose a career in nursing by improving pay among the workforce and financial support for those studying.

‘As demand for services soars, today’s figures show just 40 more domestic students have been accepted onto nursing courses in England compared with last year,’ she said.

‘This is nowhere near the level of growth required and will be cold comfort to exhausted nursing staff, working beyond breaking point on dangerously understaffed wards.’

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Professor Ranger pointed to the government’s newly announced ‘Graduate Guarantee’ initiative for nurses in England but warned this ‘must only be the beginning’.

‘We now need to see the government prioritise getting more students to choose nursing in the first place,’ she said.

‘Nursing is a wonderful career, but only by reforming pay and delivering stronger financial support during study can things be turned around.’

With a highly anticipated NHS workforce plan due this year, Professor Ranger said the government must use the blueprint to set ‘clear ambitions on increasing the number of students joining the profession’.

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The plan ‘must deliver sustained and significant year on year growth in the domestic supply’, she added.

‘If it doesn’t, patients will not get the care they need and the government’s NHS vision will fail.’