Oxford University has blamed Brexit for the fall in numbers of students from the European Union attending the university.

The annual admissions report for Oxford University has shown the number of students admitted from the EU has halved, from eight per cent of overall students to four per cent, and from an average of more 260 for the past four years to 128 this year.

The proportion of British students increased slightly to 82 per cent, compared with a Russell Group average of 73 per cent.

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Vice-chancellor Professor Louise Richardson said the “decline was expected as a result of the changing fee regime occasioned by Brexit, but it is stark”.

Oxford Mail: Vice- Chancellor Louise RichardsonVice- Chancellor Louise Richardson

The admissions data showed the proportion of state school pupils gaining a place had risen from 58 per cent in 2017 to 68 per cent in 2021.

Over the pandemic these figures rose, with 62 per cent of state school applicants gaining places in 2019, compared with 69 per cent in 2020 and 68 per cent in 2021.

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The report also showed that between 2017 and 2021, the proportion of students identifying as black and minority ethnic (BME) rose from 18 per cent to 25 per cent, while the proportion from disadvantaged areas rose from 11 per cent to 17 per cent.

Oxford’s report said the differences reflected “population size, achievement in school and application numbers”.

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