28% increase in applications to politics courses at UK universities since start of Brexit debate

Universities across the UK have seen a 28% increase in applications to Politics courses since the debate surrounding Britain’s European Union (EU) membership began in the run-up to the 2016 referendum.

UCAS applications to study Politics at university level increased from 34,275 in 2013 to 47,445 in 2018.

The number of students accepted on to Politics courses has also risen 27% in the five years to 2018, according to UCAS.

First-year History and Politics student at the University of Warwick, Ellie Mac Arthur, said that “constant media coverage of Brexit has led to increased interest in Politics despite growing voter apathy and disillusionment”.

She added that there has been an increase in students taking Politics A Level at her school from 18 last year to 60 this year, which she thought was likely caused by Brexit.

Jon Tonge, a Politics lecturer at the University of Liverpool – which has bolstered its politics department three-fold –  stated that other political events, such as the Scottish independence referendum and the 2015 general election, have also increased applications to politics courses.

He said: “It is a terrible thing to say, but the more unhealthy and divisive the debate is, the better it is for politics departments in terms of bums on seats.”

Christopher Massey, lecturer at Teesside University – which recently launched an undergraduate (BA) Politics course – also argued that the debate over Brexit is not the only cause of this increase in students applying to Politics courses.

He commented to the BBC that President Trump’s election victory in 2016 and the rise of groups such as Extinction Rebellion have also led to an increase in the number of young people wishing to explore Politics as an academic subject.

Robert Lamb, head of politics at Exeter University, said: “Our students have chosen to study politics because they are increasingly desperate to make sense of the tumultuous and bewildering times in which they live.”

With regard to the number of Politics applications and students, the University of Warwick commented that “the numbers have remained steady since” with “no significant change”.