Computer science is fastest-growing subject for undergraduates

Computer science as an undergraduate degree subject has seen a gentle spike in demand between the 2015/16 and 2016/17 academic years, according to the most recent Higher education student statistics survey.

Download this free guide

Why softer skills are essential for the workforce of the future

Explore the different types of skills that are needed for technology roles, as well as the increasing importance of soft skills, creativity and diverse thought in developing the technology teams of the future.

Start Download

• Corporate E-mail Address:

  You forgot to provide an Email Address.

  This email address doesn’t appear to be valid.

  This email address is already registered. Please login.

  You have exceeded the maximum character limit.

  Please provide a Corporate E-mail Address.

• • I agree to TechTarget’s Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, and the transfer of my information to the United States for processing to provide me with relevant information as described in our Privacy Policy.

  Please check the box if you want to proceed.

• • I agree to my information being processed by TechTarget and its Partners to contact me via phone, email, or other means regarding information relevant to my professional interests. I may unsubscribe at any time.

  Please check the box if you want to proceed.

By submitting my Email address I confirm that I have read and accepted the Terms of Use and Declaration of Consent.

The subject saw a 4% increase in undergraduate enrolment numbers – the biggest percentage rise in all subjects. However, the absolute number – 1,175 – was below that for business and administrative studies, 2,395.

At graduate level, there was an increase of 885 in full-time, first-year computer science students. But in percentage terms, that rise lagged those for biological sciences, agriculture, creative arts – subjects allied to medicine, history and philosophy. The biggest absolute increase was in business and administrative studies – 5,000 students.

First-year male students dominated, overall, in science subjects. More than 80% of computer science and engineering and technology students were male, but there was a lesser preponderance of 62% in mathematics.

However, the number of female students of computer science has increased over the past three academic years. In 2014/15 the figure was 16,040, in 2015/16 it was 16,505, and in 2016/17 it was 17,390 – an 8.4% increase over the three-year cycle.

The percentage of female students studying science subjects overall has also continued to rise, from 39% in 2012/13 to 42% in 2016/17. For England, the percentage of full-time, first-year female undergraduates in 2016/17 was 39%, and in Scotland it was 46%.

Welsh and Northern Irish higher education institutions also registered more female first-year full-time science undergraduate students, in percentage terms, than did England – 43% in Wales and 47% in Northern Ireland.

Meanwhile, and with an eye to future student cohorts, in last year’s A-levels, a higher percentage of male students received computing A* to B grades than their female counterparts. This was a turnaround from 2016, when girls achieved higher grades than boys in computing A-levels, with 68.5% of girls receiving A* to C grades, compared with 61.4% of boys.

In GCSEs in 2017, the number of students of both genders who entered the computing exam increased by 9% year-on-year, from 63,650 in 2016 to 69,350 in 2017. .................................................................. .....................................................................................................................