Big rise in chemical engineering applicants

London — The number of A-level students applying to study chemical engineering at university was reached over 7382 by final deadline, 8% higher than last year’s final total. The increase came despite an overall decline of 3.5% in the number of students planning to study higher education courses this year, , the latest UCAS figures show.

There was, however, a decline in demand for other mainstream engineering disciplines. Electronic & electrical engineering applications fell 18%, while mechanical and civil engineering applications came in 6% and 1% lower, respectively.

The Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE ) has linked the increased popularity of chemical engineering to its whynotchemeng campaign. Sponsored by Foster Wheeler, BNFL, Shell, Air Products, BP and Exxon Mobil, the initiative seeks to inspire secondary school students to take up the discipline at university.

“The whynotchemeng campaign has played a significant part in encouraging more young people to study chemical and process engineering at university,” according to Gilbert Shama, chemical engineering admissions tutor at Loughborough University.