Why are so few Welsh people going to University? And how the Welsh Government’s millions aren’t addressing the real issue

Joshua Romain

A question I find many young people, and their parents asking, myself included, is: Is university worth it?

According to UCAS 2025 data, only a third (32.5%) of Welsh 18‑year‑olds choose to go straight to university – significantly lower than the UK average of 41.2%.

I’m hopeful of securing an apprenticeship next year, but I acknowledge that for many, university is the best option and can contribute to Wales’ much needed overall social and economic growth.

Despite this, with alternatives like apprenticeships and vocational courses available – and the dreaded £40,000 of debt afterward – there is an even greater need for society to make university an accessible and appealing option for all.

This includes not only making it affordable but also presenting it as a realistic opportunity for anyone with the potential to achieve the necessary grades.

The boundaries for pupils to reach this potential differ for everyone.

Seren Scheme

While talking to other students who are preparing for their next steps after college or sixth form, one thing was incredibly divisive; the Seren scheme.

The Seren Academy is a fully funded programme designed to support the aspirations and ambitions of the most able learners through courses, mentoring, and trips.

Its vision is for Seren learners, regardless of socioeconomic background, to have the support and opportunities to fulfil their potential and excel in their future educational goals at the highest level. But at what cost to Wales as a whole?

My judgement comes with the funding which, since its inception in 2015 up to the end of the 2024–25 financial year, has seen the Welsh Government invest over £16 million into the Seren Academy.

This investment (covering the whole Seren programme from school year 8 to year 13) has helped Wales’ brightest students reach elite universities.

But what if we’re investing in the wrong group entirely?

‘Worthwhile experience’

One sixth former who is part of the Seren scheme and, like many, is hoping to go to Oxford next year is Menna Roberts, who described the scheme to me as a “worthwhile experience”.

I asked Menna, who is now in the last year of sixth form, about her experience with the scheme and she focused on one aspect: the encouragement to go to more aspirational universities.

“I think in terms of ‘Oxbridge’ and medicine it gives that specialist experience which teachers perhaps can’t offer, which makes Seren even more valuable especially as Wales is still underrepresented today in Russell group Universities.”

The latest data available shows that during 2022–2023, 1,342 pupils who were part of the Seren scheme went to a Russell Group university, while 885 stayed in Wales – a ratio which, in all fairness, has improved since the launch of Seren in 2015.

However, we are still clearly sending many of our most academically able students to England.

My issue here is not, like many, that we are paying to lose our brightest academic thinkers such as Menna to England. Instead, it’s that not enough support is available to those students who are achieving just below Seren-level grades and are uncertain about university.

Instead, or additionally, the government should support those who are uncertain about university or don’t have the support to reach it.

Glorification of University

Going to university was once the societal aim but recent trends have shown how that’s changed.

I myself have applied for university but the investment of spending another three years in a classroom and ending up with tens of thousands in debt to be left in the same situation as thousands doesn’t make sense to me.

I’d much rather an apprenticeship or even taking a year out to decide the next steps.

Making what appears to be a lifetime decision at 18 can be overwhelming, and confusing for many, myself included.

That’s why if elements of the Seren scheme were introduced to all, such as mentoring, trips and workshop sessions, then perhaps university could become a more appealing option for all.

These do exist in some schools but not in all and in my opinion not enough.

Speaking to a number of students in one of my local universities – Cardiff Met has shown me some of the realities for some at university.

Even if the nightlife seems amazing, the amount of free time, poor lectures and awaiting the next student loan to come through just to splurge it, doesn’t seem like how I should be spending the next three years.

This of course isn’t a representation of all uni experiences but many do struggle with the following:

Struggling to find a job, arguably the main purpose of university.

University needs to become an affordable, worthwhile investment and that includes career opportunities

32.5 % of 18‑year‑olds from Wales applied to university

The Seren scheme is not the problem- in many ways, it is a success. It has helped some of Wales’ brightest students reach the highest levels of education, and that should be recognised.

Bridging the gap between private schools and state schools.

But success at the top should not come at the expense of those just below it. For every Seren student supported into a Russell Group university, there are countless others who sit on the edge of higher education, unsure whether it is even for them or whether it is worth it to end up like the thousands of others with similar degrees.

If we are serious about widening access and building a stronger, more equal Wales, then our focus must shift – not away from excellence, but toward inclusion.

If we want to be serious about equity in education and encourage more people to go to university, we need to broaden our focus.

Excellence is important, but so is inclusion, even more so, I believe. Investing in those on the edge of opportunity could transform the futures of thousands, not just hundreds.