Institutional Determinants of Entry into UCAS Clearing: A study of Economics departments

This article examines factors relating to the reliance upon the Clearing phase of the Universities and Colleges Admission Service (UCAS) entry system for universities to achieve their undergraduate in-take targets. The analysis is undertaken for entry in Autumn 1999 with respect to 89 Economics departments of which 51 entered Clearing and 38 remained outside. The quality/prestige of institutions was assessed from THES indicators, average A-level entry points, their historical roots, geographical location and name composition. Three forms of statistical analysis were undertaken to determine which characteristics are salient in differentiating institutions in relation to entering Clearing. They indicate that library expenditure, teaching assessment, the year of the Royal Charter, the proportion obtaining either a First and Upper Second-class Honours degree, the share of graduates taking up employment, further study or training, average RAE rating, together with institutions which are long established, greenfield, Oxbridge and of the former PCFC sector to be statistically significant. The implications drawn from the analysis include that several performance indicators are within the capability of institutions to influence, whilst those of the former PCFC sector frequently possess a higher likelihood of relying upon Clearing compared to many pre-1992 universities.