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UNDERGRADUATE applications to study chemical engineering at UK universities are up 7% on 2009 figures, according to the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), although this is actually lower than the overall rise in applicant numbers across the board of 11.6%.

The 7% rise is also lower than the year-on-year increase for chemical engineering applications in 2009, of 17.6%. The reasons for the smaller rise in 2010 are not yet clear, however last year many universities reported that courses were at or near capacity (see Campus, tce 821 p66), and some reported that they were considering raising entry requirements to counteract this.

All engineering disciplines showed higher applicant numbers than 2009, although like chemical engineering, civil engineering (5%) and electrical engineering (6%), had increases below the general average. Mechanical engineering, however, showed a growth in applications of 13%.

The number of would-be chemical engineers still stands at record levels, with 10,784 school-leavers applying to study the subject, a far cry from the 2001 low-point. While it is the tenth consecutive year of growth in the discipline in terms of numbers, the proportion of applications to chemical engineering has remained more or less the same in 2009 and 2010.

“We know that university places are under scrutiny but we also know that chemical engineering graduates make an important contribution to the economy and that they will be key in our drive towards a more sustainable, low-carbon energy future. The government and universities must think long and hard about which disciplines can contribute most to our societal and economic wellbeing,” says Andy Furlong, IChemE director of policy.