Diversity in the profession: fast facts

Diversity: gender

Data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)

This data is provided for the purpose of considering the gender diversity of the speech and language therapy profession. All data is rounded according to HESA standard rounding methodology. It remains the property of RCSLT and should not be passed on or published without further permission.

Overview

• Overall gender split of the student population has remained relatively steady over the years for which we have data.
• On the face of it there is little difference between the post-graduate and undergraduate routes in terms of gender split, but;
• Around 75% of male students start their course at the age of 21 or over (2019/20);
• Male student admissions were 4% for those who started in 2019. The absolute number of male admissions was up slightly in 2019 against a backdrop of an increase in overall student numbers.

Total speech and language therapy students by gender 2017–2020

* These figures have been rounded up so not all the columns will add up

SLT student admissions by gender 2017-2020

*These figures have been rounded up so not all columns add up

Sources

Copyright Higher Education Statistics Agency Limited 2021. Neither the Higher Education Statistics Agency Limited nor HESA Services Limited can accept responsibility for any inferences or conclusions derived by third parties from data or other information supplied by the Higher Education Statistics Agency Limited or HESA Services Limited.

Diversity: ethnicity

This data is provided for the purpose of considering and understanding the ethnic diversity of the speech and language therapy profession. All data is rounded according to HESA standard rounding methodology. It remains the property of RCSLT and should not be passed on or published without further permission.

Definitions used in these statistics follow that of ONS used in the UK Census. Only UK domiciled students in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man are required to report their ethnic origin.

• White includes White, White – Scottish, Irish Traveller, Gypsy or Traveller, plus Other White background.
• Black includes Black or Black British – Caribbean, Black or Black British – African, and other Black background.
• Asian includes Asian or Asian British – Indian, Asian or Asian British – Pakistani, Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi, Chinese, and other Asian background.
• Mixed includes mixed – White and Black Caribbean, mixed – White and Black African, mixed – White and Asian, other mixed background.
• Other includes Arab and other ethnic background.
• Unknown/Not applicable is used to denote those who are Non-UK domiciled, have an unknown domicile (2014/15 onwards), have refused to give ethnic information or whose ethnicity is unknown.

Number of speech and language therapy students by ethnicity 2017-20

* Numbers may not add up due to rounding

Sources

Copyright Higher Education Statistics Agency Limited 2021. Neither the Higher Education Statistics Agency Limited nor HESA Services Limited can accept responsibility for any inferences or conclusions derived by third parties from data or other information supplied by the Higher Education Statistics Agency Limited or HESA Services Limited.

 

SLT students socio-economic classifications

Definition:*this is the socio-economic background/ occupation of the parents, step-parents or guardian of students aged under 21.

Sources: HESA Student Record 2015/16; HESA Student Record 2014/15; HESA DLHE Record 2015/16; HESA DLHE Record 2014/15; HESA Student Record 2016/17; HESA DLHE Record 2016/17; HESA Student Record 2017/18. Copyright Higher Education Statistics Agency Limited. Neither the Higher Education Statistics Agency Limited nor HESA Services Limited can accept responsibility for any inferences or conclusions derived by third parties from data or other information supplied by HESA Services.

Polar 4 distribution

Notes:

This chart does not include students from Northern Ireland, as this data is not available split into quintiles.

The POLAR4 classification is formed by ranking five groups from quintile 1 areas, with the lowest young participation (most disadvantaged), up to quintile 5 areas with the highest rates (most advantaged), each representing 20 percent of the UK young cohort. Students have been allocated to the neighbourhoods on the basis of their postcode.

Sources

Copyright Higher Education Statistics Agency Limited 2021. Neither the Higher Education Statistics Agency Limited nor HESA Services Limited can accept responsibility for any inferences or conclusions derived by third parties from data or other information supplied by the Higher Education Statistics Agency Limited or HESA Services Limited.

Student attrition

This data report can be used when considering policy relating to the attrition and retention of the speech and language therapy student population.

All data is rounded according to HESA standard rounding methodology. It remains the property of RCSLT.

Overview

• Overall student SLT leaver rates are 1.6% in 2018–19
• The majority of leavers are first year students 3.9% in 2018–19
• 5.7% of first year undergraduate students left in 2018–19

Notes on data

• Due to rounding numbers in columns or rows may not add to the total
• All numbers are rounded to the nearest 5
• Any number lower than 2.5 is rounded to 0
• Halves are rounded upwards
• Percentages based on fewer than 22.5 individuals are suppressed

Reasons for leaving

Percent students leaving out of total students all years of study.

	2018–19		2017–18
Reason for leaving	Number	%	Number	%
Academic failure/left in bad standing/not permitted to progress	15	0.5	20	0.8
Transferred to another provider	5	0.1	0	0.0
Health reasons	10	0.4	5	0.2
Death	0	0.0	0	0.0
Financial reasons	0	0.0	0	0.0
Other personal reasons and dropped out	5	0.2	15	0.6
Written off after lapse of time	0	0.0	0	0.1
Exclusion	0	0.0	0	0.0
Gone into employment	0	0.0	5	0.1
Other	10	0.4	10	0.3
Completion of course – result unknown	0	0.0	0	0.0
Unknown	0	0.0	0	0.0
Total leavers	45	1.6	55	2.1
Total students	2,735		2,660

SLT leavers in all years

SLT leavers in all years by undergraduate and postgraduate level of study.

		Postgraduate	First degree	Total
2018–19	Total leavers	5	40	45
	Total	845	1,890	2,735
2017–18	Total leavers	5	50	55
	Total	820	1,835	2,660
2016–17	Total leavers	20	45	65
	Total	810	1,880	2,670
2015–16	Total leavers	10	35	45
	Total	780	1,890	2,670
2014–15	Total leavers	15	40	55
	Total	760	1,950	2,710

Leavers in first year of study

Percent students SLT leaving in their first year of study, compared to the total in that year.

	Total first year students	Total leavers	%
2018–19	995	40	3.9
2017–18	855	30	3.8
2016–17	870	45	5.4
2015–16	830	20	2.5
2014–15	820	30	3.9

First year leavers by level of study

Student SLT leavers in first year of study by level of study (postgraduate or first degree).

	Postgraduate			First degree
Academic year	Total leavers	Total students	%	Total leavers	Total students	%
2018–19	5	385	1.0	35	615	5.7
2017–18	5	315	1.3	30	535	5.2
2016–17	15	315	4.7	30	555	5.8
2015–16	5	295	2.0	15	535	2.8
2014–15	10	275	3.7	20	545	4.0

Sources

HESA Student Record 2015/16; HESA Student Record 2014/15; HESA DLHE Record 2015/16; HESA DLHE Record 2014/15; HESA Student Record 2016/17; HESA DLHE Record 2016/17; HESA Student Record 2017/18; HESA Student Record 2018/19. Copyright Higher Education Statistics Agency Limited. Neither the Higher Education Statistics Agency Limited nor HESA Services Limited can accept responsibility for any inferences or conclusions derived by third parties from data or other information supplied by HESA Services.