Which is the most 'English' university in Wales?

Dr Owain James

I have shared a lot of stats about universities in England where high rates of people from Wales attend. You could perhaps call these the most 'Welsh' universities outside of Wales.

So what about the other way around? Which universities in Wales have high rates of people from England attend?

According to HESA, there were two universities in Wales where more people from England enrolled than people from Wales in the 2021/22 academic year.

These were Cardiff University and Aberystwyth University.

They both also have different claims to being the most 'English' University in Wales.

If you simply compare the rates of people from England attending the university compared with people from Wales, Cardiff University wins, with 36.6% more people from England than Wales enrolled compared with 32.4% for Aberystwyth University.

However, if you compare the rates of people from England against the whole university, Aberystwyth University wins! 46.3% of all students from Aberystwyth University came from England, compared with 44.3% for Cardiff University. This is due to the higher rates of people from overseas who attend Cardiff University.

It may not seem surprising that high rates of people from England go to Cardiff University to study. It is a Russell Group University in a capital city, near the border with England and with good transport links with England.

But what explains the higher rates of people from England studying at Aberystwyth University?

In one sense, Aberystwyth is better connected with England than Wales. Travelling north to south is generally harder in Wales than travelling east to west. Since most of Wales' population is in the north and south, this generally means travelling north or south to get to Aberystwyth if you are from Wales. However, people from England can travel east to west. Relatively high rates of students from Shropshire, West Midlands, Staffordshire and Worcestershire attend Aberystwyth University. There is a direct train from Birmingham that takes around 3 hours. From Cardiff it's more like 5 hours by train, with a change.
It is the nearest coast for many of these places in the west of England. Not only is the seaside itself appealing, but many people from these areas have grown up going on holiday to Aberystwyth and the surrounding area and so are familiar with it when making university choices.
The National Library

There is a third university which almost has as many people from England attending than from Wales (and at undergraduate level actually has more from England than Wales), namely Bangor University.

What connects these three universities together? They are some of Wales' oldest university institutions. Aberystwyth, Bangor and Cardiff were the three constituent colleges when the University of Wales was founded.

It seems that the age and prestige of these universities are also a factor in drawing people from England to study.

I have shared a lot of stats about universities in England where high rates of people from Wales attend. You could perhaps call these the most 'Welsh' universities outside of Wales.

So what about the other way around? Which universities in Wales have high rates of people from England attend?

According to HESA, there were two universities in Wales where more people from England enrolled than people from Wales in the 2021/22 academic year.

These were Cardiff University and Aberystwyth University.

They both also have different claims to being the most 'English' University in Wales.

But what explains the higher rates of people from England studying at Aberystwyth University?

In one sense, Aberystwyth is better connected with England than Wales. Travelling north to south is generally harder in Wales than travelling east to west. Since most of Wales' population is in the north and south, this generally means travelling north or south to get to Aberystwyth if you are from Wales. However, people from England can travel east to west. Relatively high rates of students from Shropshire, West Midlands, Staffordshire and Worcestershire attend Aberystwyth University. There is a direct train from Birmingham that takes around 3 hours. From Cardiff it's more like 5 hours by train, with a change.
It is the nearest coast for many of these places in the west of England. Not only is the seaside itself appealing, but many people from these areas have grown up going on holiday to Aberystwyth and the surrounding area and so are familiar with it when making university choices.
The National Library

There is a third university which almost has as many people from England attending than from Wales (and at undergraduate level actually has more from England than Wales), namely Bangor University.

It seems that the age and prestige of these universities are also a factor in drawing people from England to study.

Rwyf wedi rhannu llawer o ystadegau am brifysgolion yn Lloegr lle mae cyfraddau uchel o bobl o Gymru yn mynychu. Efallai y gallech chi alw'r rhain y prifysgolion mwyaf 'Cymreig' y tu allan i Gymru.

Felly beth am y ffordd arall? Pa brifysgolion yng Nghymru sydd â chyfraddau uchel o bobl o Loegr yn eu mynychu?

Yn ôl HESA, roedd dwy brifysgol yng Nghymru lle cofrestrodd mwy o bobl o Loegr na phobl o Gymru ym mlwyddyn academaidd 2021/22.

Prifysgol Caerdydd a Phrifysgol Aberystwyth oedd y rhain.

Mae gan y ddwy hon hefyd honiadau gwahanol mai hi yw'r Brifysgol fwyaf 'Seisnig' yng Nghymru.

Os cymharwch gyfraddau’r bobl o Loegr sy’n mynychu’r brifysgol o gymharu â phobl o Gymru, Prifysgol Caerdydd sy’n ennill, gyda 36.6% yn fwy o bobl o Loegr na Chymru wedi cofrestru o gymharu â 32.4% ar gyfer Prifysgol Aberystwyth.

Fodd bynnag, os cymharwch gyfraddau pobl o Loegr yn erbyn y brifysgol gyfan, Prifysgol Aberystwyth sy'n ennill! Roedd 46.3% o holl fyfyrwyr Prifysgol Aberystwyth yn dod o Loegr, o gymharu â 44.3% ar gyfer Prifysgol Caerdydd. Mae hyn oherwydd y cyfraddau uwch o bobl o dramor sy'n mynychu Prifysgol Caerdydd.

Efallai nad yw'n syndod bod cyfraddau uchel o bobl o Loegr yn mynd i Brifysgol Caerdydd i astudio. Mae'n Brifysgol Grŵp Russell mewn prifddinas, ger y ffin â Lloegr a gyda chysylltiadau trafnidiaeth da â Lloegr.

Ond beth sy'n esbonio'r cyfraddau uwch o bobl o Loegr sy'n astudio ym Mhrifysgol Aberystwyth?

Mewn un ystyr, mae gan Aberystwyth well cysylltiad â Lloegr na Chymru. Yn gyffredinol, mae teithio o'r gogledd i'r de yn anoddach yng Nghymru na theithio o'r dwyrain i'r gorllewin. Gan fod y rhan fwyaf o boblogaeth Cymru yn y gogledd a'r de, mae hyn yn amlach na pheidio yn golygu teithio o'r gogledd neu'r de i gyrraedd Aberystwyth os ydych yn dod o Gymru. Ond gall pobl o Loegr deithio o'r dwyrain i'r gorllewin. Mae cyfraddau cymharol uchel o fyfyrwyr o Swydd Amwythig, Gorllewin Canolbarth Lloegr, Swydd Stafford a Swydd Gaerwrangon yn mynychu Prifysgol Aberystwyth. Mae yna trên uniongyrchol o Birmingham sy'n cymryd tua 3 awr. O Gaerdydd mae'n debycach i 5 awr ar y trên, gyda newid ar y ffordd.
Dyma'r arfordir agosaf i lawer o'r lleoedd hyn yng ngorllewin Lloegr. Nid yn unig y mae glan y môr ei hun yn apelio, ond mae llawer o bobl o’r ardaloedd hyn wedi tyfu i fyny yn mynd ar wyliau i Aberystwyth a’r cyffiniau ac felly yn gyfarwydd ag ef wrth wneud dewisiadau prifysgol.
Y Llyfrgell Genedlaethol

Mae trydedd brifysgol sydd bron â chymaint o bobl o Loegr yn mynychu nag o Gymru (ac yn wir ar lefel israddedig mae ganddi fwy o Loegr na Chymru), sef Prifysgol Bangor.

Beth sy'n cysylltu'r tair prifysgol hyn â'i gilydd? Dyma rai o sefydliadau prifysgol hynaf Cymru. Aberystwyth, Bangor a Chaerdydd oedd y tri choleg cyfansoddol pan sefydlwyd Prifysgol Cymru.

Ymddengys fod oed a bri y prifysgolion hyn hefyd yn ffactor wrth ddenu pobl o Loegr i astudio.