7% 16% 29% 4% Wellbeing *For this question, agreement indicates a negative response; the score for this question was reversed when calculating the index score I feel loved 7% 17% 25% *I feel ashamed *I feel rejected by others I feel capable of making decisions Strongly disagree Moderately disagree Neutral Moderately agree Strongly agree Figure 9: Breakdown of responses to Wellbeing theme questions The Wellbeing score combines two different sets of questions to take a snapshot of the mental wellbeing of the cohort. No change 63 The scores for this theme are the same as last year, sustaining the improvement between 2022 and 2023. 5% 20% 20% 18% 17% 44% 45% 21% 19% 16% 29% 15% 25% However, there are higher levels of shame among the applicant population this year. Male and non- binary applicants have higher levels of shame than female applicants. LGBTQ+ applicants are more likely to feel ashamed, as are care leavers. Additionally, more than half of applicants who are ethnically Chinese (58%) feel ashamed – the overwhelming majority of these are international students from China. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) Standard Wellbeing Measures use a 0-10 scale to assess the level of self- reported life satisfaction, feeling that life is worthwhile, happiness and anxiety across the population. Results are reported in terms of the percentage of the population that reports the highest levels (score of 9 or 10) in the first three questions, and the lowest levels (0 or 1) of anxiety. For the first time, applicant wellbeing scores using the ONS standard measures have returned approximately to pre-pandemic levels, as shown in Figure 10. Scores in each of the questions have increased meaningfully, beyond the margin of error. However, this encouraging finding has been strongly affected by the increasing proportion of international applicants in the sample over recent years, reflecting their growth within the student population. International applicants score more positively on each of the four indicators, and when comparing results for UK applicants the scores are still somewhat lower than they were five years ago - see Figure 11. Unite Students | Applicant Index Report 23 INTRODUCTION THEMATIC ANALYSIS WELLBEING METHODOLOGY TOPICAL ISSUES BACK TO THEMES