An MSP has welcomed new figures showing progress in widening access to higher education.
Marie McNair, SNP MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, praised the Scottish Government’s efforts to improve access to higher education among students from the most deprived areas.
Recent data revealed that 5445 young people from the most disadvantaged communities in Scotland entered university full-time in 2023/24 to study for their first degree.
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The number represents the second highest on record and marks a 37% increase since the SNP established the Commission on Widening Access.
Across all full-time undergraduate courses, including those at colleges, 20.8% of students came from some of the most deprived communities, moving closer to the SNP’s 2030 goal of achieving parity of access.
The figures also show improvements in retention rates and an increase in the number of care-experienced young people entering university.
Ms McNair said: "This SNP Government is proving that with the right policies, we can tear down the barriers that hold young people back.
"These new figures are incredibly encouraging, and thanks to the work of our colleges and universities.
"The door to higher education is more open than ever.
"As students across Clydebank and Milngavie receive their exam results, I want them to know that their futures should be defined by their ambition and their talent, not their postcode.
"The SNP will keep working to make that a reality."
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