Responding to the latest data from UCAS, RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive, Professor Nicola Ranger, said:
“As demand for services soars, today’s figures show just 40 more domestic students have been accepted onto nursing courses in England compared with last year. This is nowhere near the level of growth required and will be cold comfort to exhausted nursing staff, working beyond breaking point on dangerously understaffed wards.
“This week, ministers made important commitments to get more graduates into nursing jobs, but this must only be the beginning. We now need to see the government prioritise getting more students to choose nursing in the first place. Nursing is a wonderful career, but only by reforming pay and delivering stronger financial support during study can things be turned around.
“The upcoming workforce plan must set clear ambitions on increasing the number of students joining the profession. It must deliver sustained and significant year on year growth in the domestic supply. If it doesn’t, patients will not get the care they need and the government’s NHS vision will fail.”
Ends
Notes to editors
The number of accepted domestic applicants onto nursing courses in England each year are:
• 2025: 13,400
• 2024: 13,360
• 2023: 13,520
• 2022: 15,660
• 2021: 17,140
• 2020: 15,250
• 2019: 13,250
Figures are correct as of 14th August 2025, but may change as clearing takes place.
According to new YouGov polling, commissioned by University Alliance, eight in ten people support student loan forgiveness, grants or bursaries for students training to work in the NHS.
