FEWER students enrolled at Wales’ higher education institutions last year compared to the previous year, according to statistics published by the Welsh Government this week.

Wales remained a net ‘importer’ of students last year, but the net flow into Wales fell by 12 per cent. In 2012/13, there were 128,780 higher education enrolments in Wales, a fall of two per cent since 2011/12, while enrolments by Welsh students at all UK higher education institutions saw a small decrease compared with 2011/12.

At Welsh higher education institutions, full-time enrolments remained the same as 2011/12 levels, but part-time enrolments fell by six per cent in 2012/13.

Part-time enrolments represented 28 per cent in 2012/13 compared with 40 per cent at the 2006/07 peak.

In 2012/13 there were 101,270 Welsh higher education enrolments at UK institutions. Part-time undergraduate enrolments fell by four per cent but part-time post-graduate enrolments rose by four per cent.

In 2012/13, there were 21,610 Welsh enrolments at UK higher education institutions outside Wales and 33,080 enrolments at Welsh institutions from students normally living elsewhere in the UK.