Answer:

This data is very difficult to capture accurately due to the varied nature of provision. In 2007/08, a total of 58,900 undergraduage and postgraduate students from non-language disciplines were recorded by HESA to be studying a language at university, not at degree level, but as an accredited language course.

Data notes:

Many students of other disciplines are taking language modules at universities in the UK. A host of different study routes are provided through language, certificates, diplomas, modular credits and extra-curricular learning opportunities. National research and data on the students following such courses is scarce, although the HESA student record data does capture some of these students. In some cases, they are recorded as language units alongside and accredited to the undergraduate’s first degree of another discipline.

The following downloadable summaries provide further analysis of these accredited language courses and students:

HE students of other disciplines studying a language module accredited to their degree, 2002-03 to 2007-08 (pdf, 1214kb)

This data covers UK and overseas students studying at all HE Institutions in the UK. It is for accredited study only and does not include extra-curricular, non-credit bearing courses (click here to see more details of these courses).

Data source:

The data was collected by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) from their Student Records of individual enrolments at HE institutions. The data was analysed by CILT, the National Centre for Languages, based on student headcount analysis. The accuracy of the data depends on how individual institutions code and report their figures to HESA.