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Top ten most popular courses in the UK

Discover which university subject areas are the most popular in the UK according to UCAS course data.

Students Listening to a Lecturer and Writing in Notebooks

Statistics from UCAS show which courses were applied for most in 2022/3. At the end of the application cycle, UCAS released data showing where students applied to, and for what subject.

Our list below shows which subject areas were the most popular in the UK in light of this data.

10. Medicine and Dentistry

Medicine encompasses a variety of practices that have evolved to maintain and restore health by preventing and treating illness. Medicine may be a challenging area to work in, but job satisfaction from a career in medicine is high. Most doctors agree there is no greater joy than curing a patient.

Dentistry is the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of disease and disfigurement in the mouth and oral area. Dentistry, like any other medical degree or profession, has the feel-good factor. You're changing lives for the better, learning how to keep people in good health.

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  2. Applying for Medicine, Veterinary Medicine and Dentistry
  3. Medicine courses
  4. Dentistry courses

9. Psychology

Psychology is the study of the human mind. Psychologists attempt to determine why people behave in a particular way, and if you get far in this field, you could reach dizzy heights: think Freud, Jung and Pavlov.

Despite a lack of vocational certainty after studying it, psychology remains a popular field of study. Many graduates work with other people, as psychologists, therapists and social workers. Many others go into academia, research and education.

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  2. Psychology courses

8. Law

Law is a study that specialises in legalities and bringing justice to criminals and victims.
A degree provides you with the skills required to practise in law. Transferable skills include research, interpretation and explanation of complex subjects, analytical thinking and practical problem solving, good oral communication, negotiation, teamwork, attention to detail and the ability to draft formal documents.

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  2. Law courses

7. Biological and sports sciences

Biological Sciences courses allow you to explore areas of biochemistry, biomedicine, cell biology, conservation, ecology, genetics, microbiology, pathobiology and physiology.

Sports Science explores how the healthy human body works during exercise, how sport and physical activity promote health physically, mentally and socially, and incorporates many other academic subjects, such as Physiology, Psychology, Anatomy, Engineering and ,Chemistry.

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  2. Biology courses
  3. Sports science courses

6. Engineering and technology

Engineering graduates are exposed to various technical subjects and skills and develop transferable skills useful to all industries such as problem-solving, decision-making, innovation, project management, teamwork working, and communication.

Technology subjects are wide-ranging from materials technology, graduates could go on to develop solutions for the aeronautical or energy industries,  to medical technology, where graduates could work to improve the quality of healthcare, such as by increasing the accuracy of diagnosis or decreasing the time taken to treat an illness. Studying these subject areas could lead you to play a part in improving people’s lives and society.

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  2. Engineering courses
  3. Technology courses
  4. Careers guides

5. Computer Science

Computer Science is the study of information technology.

With this methodical science, you could specialise in the theory and design of computational systems – an area that dominates our modern world today. It’s both a mathematical and creative subject, with students going into roles such as consultants, managers, programmers, analysts and developers. 

4. Design and Creative arts

Design studies focus on the design of everyday objects, taking into account technology and commerce as well as appearance and current art thinking. Courses often involve the use of computers as design tools.

Creative arts encompasses a wide range of artistic disciplines including visual arts, performing arts, music, design, and media. The subject explores things like paintings, sculptures, photographs, installations, music compositions, dance performances, theatrical productions, films, animations, graphic designs, and digital media projects.  

Students from these subject area find themself working for a large variety of industries including fashion, animation, computer games, theatre, textiles and illustration.

3. Social Sciences

Social sciences is a group of subjects that that studies how people and groups behave in societies and their impact.

The point of these subjects is to understand more about how society works under different conditions, looking at economic and cultural factors and more, and how these things can affect the country's growth, employment, and the lives of individuals. These subjects include:

  • Anthropology
  • Economics
  • Politics
  • Sociology
  • Social psychology
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  2. Anthropology courses
  3. Economics courses
  4. Politics courses
  5. Sociology courses
  6. Social psychology courses

2. Business & Management Studies

Management studies courses often include areas of business, hospitality, tourism, land, and property. Business and administration courses teach you all about how a business functions from the financial side to marketing.

There are numerous combination options with this subject area, such as with analysis, statistics, economics, mathematics, information systems, music, fashion, and international studies. The transferable skills you’ll develop from a degree in this area are relevant to most of professional sectors.

Degree courses in this field set you up for a career in most professional sectors, as management skills are highly transferable and widely applicable. From business organisation to human resource management, you’ll learn how to make a workplace efficient and effective.

1. Subjects Allied to Medicine

The subjects allied to medicine range far and wide – from clinical medicine to optometry, dentistry to medical technology.

Most courses in this subject area are highly vocational, meaning you can expect to graduate ready to enter into a specific healthcare-related role. Alternatively, many students go into roles in sectors such as education, scientific sales, environment, and journalism.

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