evidence: In 2022, 12,070 18-year-olds in Northern Ireland have applied to go to university - up from 11,670 in 2021 and 10,720 in 2020. [...] According to UCAS, almost two-thirds of 18-year-old women in Northern Ireland (63%) have applied to start undergraduate degrees in 2022. [...] Overall, 18,430 students from Northern Ireland applied to go to university through UCAS by 30 June, a fall from 19,390 in 2021.