Maths Degrees for the Future
we are calling on the government to support universities to prioritise maths teaching and to prevent further course closures.
Maths graduates are among the most productive in the UK, making significant contributions in academia and industry, as well as to the Exchequer. They command a high wage premium, with maths being ranked in the top three subjects for graduate earnings. They are also highly prized in areas of strategic importance, including by GCHQ, which is the UK’s largest recruiter of pure mathematicians.
We must maintain a healthy ecosystem of maths degrees for the future, with strong and sustainable provision in every region. This needs to include the full breadth of courses, from those that compete to recruit star students from around the world, to those from which graduates are disproportionately likely to enter careers in education.
Maths Degrees for the Future
Maths has now been the most chosen A-Level for over a decade. In 2024, for the first time, more than 100,000 students took A-Level Maths. Moreover, the number of students that took A-Level Further Maths jumped by 20%. There is a big opportunity to build on the growing popularity of maths among young people and extend this into degrees.
However, while there has been a welcome increase in the size of maths degree programmes, mostly at research-intensive universities, maths degree enrolments have been stubbornly flat for a decade. This contrasts with subjects like computer science, which have grown significantly over the same time period. We have produced an interactive chart that shows these changes.
Worryingly, many smaller maths degree programmes, mostly at universities that have lower entry requirements, have been shrinking and are under threat. Brighton University, Oxford Brookes University and Birkbeck College have already cancelled or scaled back their maths degree programmes. This creates a significant risk to both the diversity of the maths undergraduate population and the development of maths teacher talent. Indeed, research commissioned by the Council of Mathematical Sciences shows that graduates of these smaller maths departments with lower entry requirements are more likely to enter careers in education.
An action plan is needed to maintain a healthy ecosystem of maths degrees for the future, including strong and sustainable provision in every region. As well as calling the government to take action, CaMS is delighted to announce our Maths Degrees for the Future Grants project, which will open for applications in Autumn 2024.
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We are always looking for help and suggestions to advance the mathematical sciences, including from new campaign supporters and industry partners.
We are always happy to help by sharing data and insights about the mathematical sciences, and with media queries and speaking opportunities, and policy briefings and visits.