Do flexible admission systems affect student enrollment? Evidence from UK universities

Abstract

We reveal the current level of flexible admission systems (FAS) at UK universities, and explore its impact on student enrollment rates. We employ quantitative analysis techniques for data collected and customized from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) in the UK, during the period 2010–2015. To understand the impact of FAS on student enrollment, six statistical tests were conducted. Based on the level of FAS adopted by universities, we identified four groups of UK universities: very low, low, medium, and high levels of FAS. No robust evidence exists to support claims that universities which apply a higher level of FAS have higher student enrollment. The study results were based only on secondary data collected from HESA, so future studies should be based on other types of data. This paper attempts to cover the missing elements of previous literature and its traditional research techniques.