Our competitors
Our UCAS competitors
UCAS defines 'competitors' as institutions with whom we share the highest number of applicants. On an institutional level - i.e. when all undergraduate course applications are aggregated - our competitors on UCAS' January 2025 deadline (based on the 2023/24 cycle) were:
- Anglia Ruskin;
- Buckinghamshire New;
- Coventry;
- East London;
- Hertfordshire;
- Northampton.
East London is new to the list; Middlesex has traditionally been included, while De Montfort, Birmingham City and Greenwich have done so in the past.
Subject competitors
Competitors lists for different subject areas are available below. Please use this spreadsheet with caution, as:
- competitors are determined by the quantity of applications (not necessarily conversions);
- small numbers of applications in more niche subject areas can lead to misleading competitors being reported;
- the way subjects are determined can be inconsistent between and sometimes within individual institutions;
- Subject groups can be broad - for example, Biological Sciences includes both Psychology and Sports Sciences; Business & Admin Studies includes Human Resource Management, etc.
Our subject group competitors as at the end of the 2023/24 main cycle are contained in:
Other competitors and comparisons
Shared undergraduate application volumes is the traditional model of identifying university competitors. Other methods include:
- Comparators - HEIs with a similar make up, demographics and/or mission to us (e.g. Million+ universities, lower tariff institutions);
- International competitors (the International Office may be able to assist);
- Postgraduate competitors;
- Alternative providers and models:
- Other alternatives to the “standard” three year resident degree (e.g. accelerated awards, distance learning, employment, year off, study abroad etc.).
Last updated 8/11/24
