Student numbers at Scottish colleges continue to fall

The number of students attending colleges in Scotland has dropped for another year, according to official figures.

The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) said the number of students at Scotland's college had decreased by almost 40,000 in the past two years - a drop of 16%.

But the latest figures show the rate of decline has slowed during the last academic year.

The report from the SFC, who oversees the college and universities sector for the Scottish government, looks at statistics and trends from Scotland's 24 colleges over the past decade.

The total student headcount decreased by more than 4% from 218,145 in 2023/24 to 209,285 in 2024/25, while the number of enrolments fell by 3.1% to its lowest in the past decade.

The SFC suggests the declines are largely driven by a reduction in part-time students.

It said of the 8,345 fewer enrolments in 2024/25, 88% were part-time students.

It comes after a report by the SFC in September said most Scottish further education colleges will face unsustainable losses over the next three years.

The study revealed 22 out of 24 colleges in Scotland are expected to spend more than their income this year as staff costs have continued to rise.

For students aged 21 and under, the latest data showed an increase in the number of enrolments compared with the previous year.

More than 2,500 additional 16-year-olds enrolled in a college in Scotland in 2024/25 than 2023/24,

The SFC said it follows a strategic move for colleges to focus on S4-S6 students and offer more opportunities for their vocational learning.

Almost every age above 21 recorded a drop in numbers in last academic year.

The report also revealed a shift away from courses in:

• childcare, beauty, business and IT

More students chose to study:

• healthcare, construction and culture

A total of 12,225 students studied construction in 2024/25 and 18,375 studied healthcare - up from 10,005 and 17,085, respectively, in 2015/16.

For the first time since 2016/17, males outnumbered females in total enrolments - 51% compared to 49%.

Martin Boyle, chief operation officer at the Scottish Funding Council, said the statistics highlight the "responsive and agile decision-making" of colleges.

"The report also supports our ambition to equip people for the changing world of work through funding clear pathways to learning and development," he said.

"I'm really pleased to again see confirmation of the sector's 100% delivery against the activity target and to see evidence of effective forward planning in the sector."

Gavin Donoghue, chief executive officer of Colleges Scotland, said: "The report reflects the challenging financial environment colleges have been operating in over recent years, which has led to a period of falling college student numbers."

He added: "The positive news is despite decreases in total headcount in 2024/25, participation among 18-19 year olds in college education continued to rise," Donoghue said.

"This shows that young people are increasingly seeing college as their first-choice destination and a valuable pathway into skilled work and well-paid careers."