The University and College Admissions Service (UCAS) has today reported record university intake numbers in the UK, with a 10.1% rise in international students.

Figures released by UCAS revealed there were 481,854 accepted university applicants in 2009. This is 25,227 higher than the intake for 2008 – an increase of 5.5% overall.

UCAS also said the number of accepted applicants had gone up by 44% since 1999.

Chief executive Mary Curnock Cook said: “2009 saw an unprecedented demand for places at university or college, but significantly more students have been accepted into higher education than ever before.”

The number of international students accepted also rose this year by 10.1%, up from 51,603 to 56,791 reflecting the continued appeal the UK holds for foreign students.

Another significant statistic revealed by UCAS showed a 15.3% increase in students aged 25 and over.

Chief executive for Universities UK, Nicola Dandridge, said the increase “demonstrates how far we have moved away from the old model of university just being an activity for the 18 to 21-year-olds. Thirty-seven per cent of UK undergraduates are now aged over 25, and the proportions are increasing all the time, particularly for men.”

For more information on education in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland why not browse through our latest UK e-magazine, “A Guide To Studying in the UK”.