Applicant Index Report

Unite Students’ annual Applicant Index surveys UK university applicants, and compares the findings year-on-year.

Unite Students > Applicant Index Report

Launched in 2022 in partnership with HEPI, the Index is the only research to systematically track university applicants’ attitudes each year, offering UK universities an indicator of what to expect when students arrive in the autumn.

2024 Applicant Index

Get to know this year's university applicants in our 2024 Applicant Index - the only research to give each year’s applicants a voice as they prepare for university life.

Download 2024 report

Listen to our HEPI Applicant Index webinar

View our previous Applicant Indexes

Front cover of the 2024 Applicant Index, which looks at university applicants' confidence

At a glance:

This year’s cohort

36%

of applicants have missed school due to their mental health

70%

of applicants have done paid work in the last year

40%

of applicants say that financial issues are affecting their mental health

28%

of applicants with a disability say they will need adjustments or support for day to day life

36%

of applicants have a disability or long term health condition. 10% of all applicants will need adjustments or support for day to day life.

43%

of applicants think they will struggle to keep up with other students at university

22%

of applicants have learned relationship skills from their parents

Press release

This year’s university applicants are more confident about their job prospects after graduating than at any other time since the pandemic – but more than a third of applicants have been absent from school due to their mental health.

Applicant Index 2024: Joe Lister’s foreword

Joe Lister, Chief Executive at Unite Students, shares his thoughts on this year’s Applicant Index findings – and how he’s seen seen some of the findings play out within his own family.

7 things you need to know about 2024’s university applicants

Don’t have time to read the full report? Here’s a quick overview of 7 key findings about this year’s university applicants, and what you need to know ahead of their arrival in the autumn.