Student equality, diversity and inclusion report 2019 Population by disability

Advance HE reports that in the academic year 2003-2004, the proportion of students who disclosed as having a disability stood at 5.4%; it has since more than doubled (2017-2018). The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) reported that in 2018-2019, 14% of all UK students and 13.4% of Scottish students disclosed a disability.

Findings

17.6% of St Andrews students disclosed a disability. This is 4.2 percentage points higher than the Scottish average and 3.6 percentage points higher than the UK average.

Student disability disclosure 2018-2019

Bar graph depicting the student disability disclosure percentages for St Andrews, against Scottish and UK higher education figures.
Bar graph depicting the student disability disclosure percentages for St Andrews, against Scottish and UK higher education figures.
  • St Andrews has the highest disability disclosure rate, as 17.6% of St Andrews students disclosed a disability. 13.4% of Scottish students disclosed a disability and 14% of UK students disclosed a disability.
  • St Andrews disability disclosure percentage is therefore 4.2 percentage points higher than the Scottish average and 3.6 percentage points higher than the UK average.
  • St Andrews population of those who did not disclose a disability stood at 82.4%, against an 86.6% population in Scottish higher education and 86% population in UK higher education.

Students by degree level and disability disclosure 2018-2019

Undergraduate

A bar graph depicting disability disclosure percentages within the ‘undergraduate’ community for St Andrews, Scottish and UK HE.
A bar graph depicting disability disclosure percentages within the ‘undergraduate’ community for St Andrews, Scottish and UK higher education.
  • For the undergraduate cohort, St Andrews disability disclosure rate was 18.7%, the Scottish higher education disclosure rate was 14.8% and the UK higher education disclosure rate was 15.1%. St Andrews therefore has a higher undergraduate disability disclosure rate than the Scottish and UK higher education benchmarks.
  • The Scottish and UK disability disclosure benchmark is almost equal, the difference being 0.3%.
  • Conversely, 81.3% of St Andrews students did not disclose a disability, 85.2% of Scottish students did not disclose a disability and 84.9% of UK students did not disclose a disability.

Postgraduate taught

A bar graph depicting disability disclosure percentages within the ‘postgraduate taught’ community for St Andrews, Scottish and UK higher education.
A bar graph depicting disability disclosure percentages within the ‘postgraduate taught’ community for St Andrews, Scottish and UK higher education.
  • For the postgraduate taught cohort, St Andrews disability disclosure rate was 12.9%, the Scottish higher education disclosure rate was 8.2% and the UK higher education disclosure rate was 9.5%. St Andrews therefore has a higher taught postgraduate disability disclosure rate than Scottish and UK higher education benchmarks.
  • Conversely, 87.1% of St Andrews taught postgraduate community did not disclose a disability, 91.8% of Scottish students did not disclose a disability and 90.5% of UK students did not disclose a disability.

Postgraduate research

A bar graph depicting disability disclosure percentages within the ‘postgraduate research’ community for St Andrews, Scottish and UK higher education.
A bar graph depicting disability disclosure percentages within the ‘postgraduate research’ community for St Andrews, Scottish and UK higher education.
  • For the postgraduate research cohort, St Andrews disability disclosure rate was 12.7%, the Scottish higher education disclosure rate was 8.2% and the UK higher education disability disclosure rate was 9.8%. St Andrews therefore has a higher research postgraduate disability disclosure rate than Scottish and UK higher education benchmarks.
  • Conversely, 87.3% of St Andrews research postgraduates did not disclose a disability, 91.8% of Scottish research postgraduates did not disclose a disability and 90.2% of UK research postgraduates did not disclose a disability.