evidence: There is likely to be a 20% rise in the number of school leavers from Northern Ireland seeking a university place by the end of the decade. [...] A higher proportion of 18 year olds from Northern Ireland go to university than any other part of the UK. [...] There are expected to be about 14,500 18-year-old students from Northern Ireland entering higher education in 2030, according to the "most likely" scenario forecast by UCAS.