Data shows 6% rise in student nurses aged under 25 in England

There has been a 6% rise in the number of younger students beginning undergraduate nursing degrees in England this year compared to the same period in 2024, new data has revealed.

The latest data from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) has revealed that over 11,500 (11,530) students aged under 25 have accepted a place on a nursing degree so far this year.

Last year there were 10,850 students aged under 25 were scheduled to start a nursing degree by this time.

In total, 18,640 people have accepted a place on an undergraduate nursing degree in England this year, a 1% rise on the same period in last year’s cycle.

The calculations are based on UCAS data at 4 weeks after the announcement of exam results.

Regional variation

Scotland and Wales both saw a slight decline in the number of students starting nursing courses this year.

In Scotland, 1,730 students were accepted onto nursing degrees for 2025, a fall from 1,750 in 2024 but up from the 1,640 in 2023.

This is also down from the post-pandemic high in Scotland, which saw 2,170 accepted onto courses in 2020 and 2,170 in 2021.

In Wales, 680 students have been accepted onto nursing courses form this year, down from 830 the year before.

However, this is a slight increase from the 650 accepted onto nursing courses in Wales in 2023.

Northern Ireland saw a slight rise in accepted applicants, with 750 this year compared with 630 in 2024.

This is the highest number of accepted applicants in the country, but still down from the 770 applicants in 2020.

Places still available

Duncan Burton, chief nursing officer for England, welcomed the new nurses who had applied to join nursing courses this year.

‘Nursing is a fantastic career. Becoming a nurse is the best decision I ever made, and it continues to inspire and challenge me just as much today as it did when I qualified.

‘You have the unique privilege of impacting people’s lives every day, offering both clinical expertise and compassionate care,’ he said.

Mr Burton noted that there were still places available via clearing and encouraged anyone still thinking about university this year to consider a healthcare degree.

‘It’s an incredibly rewarding choice where you can make a real difference to people’s lives,’ he added.

Mr Burton is also appealing to registered nurses, nursing associates and midwifery professionals and nursing and midwifery students across England to shape his new strategy for the professions.

The strategy, announced earlier this summer, aims to outline a ‘long-term vision’ for England’s next generation of nursing and midwifery professional

The ‘beating heart’ of the health service

Health and social care secretary, Wes Streeting, described nurses as the ‘beating heart’ of the health service and the ‘forefront’ of the government’s goal of building a health service ‘fit for the future’.

‘Their skills are urgently needed, and we’re equipping them to lead long, fulfilling careers – bringing down waiting lists and offering patients the highest quality care as part of our Plan for Change,’ Mr Streeting said.

Last month, the government launched its ‘Graduate Guarantee’ for nursing and midwifery, and committed to providing more jobs for newly qualified nurses and midwives by converting existing healthcare assistant vacancies into registered nurse posts.

Earlier in summer, the government announced that 2,000 nursing apprenticeships will be created over the next three years.

Last October, Royal College of Nursing (RCN) analysis of UCAS data found that

the number of people studying to become a nurse has fallen in every region in England and risked putting the government’s 10 Year Health Plan at risk.