Learning 31 My chosen course is a good fit for me Figure 26: Breakdown of responses to Learning theme questions 1% 4% 13% 24% 58% Strongly disagree Moderately disagree Neutral Moderately agree Strongly agree I think I will struggle to keep up with other students on my course * 18% 20% 23% 19% 20% I am sure I will complete my course 1% 4% 11% 22% 62% I’m confident I can learn the knowledge and skills needed for my course 1% 4% 13% 27% 55% This year’s applicants are slightly less confident academically than last year’s. They are a little less sure their chosen course is a good fit, and less confident they will complete it. Technology may be a factor: in a separate question, 40% agree that social media had harmed their learning confidence and ability. Academic confidence is notably lower among applicants with disabilities. Around half expect to struggle to keep up with other students on their course, compared to about a third of non‑disabled applicants. This pattern is consistent across applicants with physical disabilities, neurodivergent conditions and mental health conditions. Disabled applicants are also less likely to believe they will complete their course, and to be confident they can learn the knowledge and skills for their course. Learning confidence has dipped, with applicants less sure about course fit and academic success. * For this question, agreement indicates a negative response; the score for this question was reversed when calculating the index score Appendices Introduction Learning Thematic analysis Applicant Index Report 2026 Belonging, equity and inclusion The Learning score measures academic confidence across the cohort, alongside confidence in course choice. 70 Down 1 from 2025 Back to contents