Milton Keynes named one of the top 10 UK cities for young people going to university

Milton Keynes has made the UK top 10 for young people going to university, with more than four in ten 18-year-olds accepted onto a course last year.

Milton Keynes only became a city in 2022, but a new study shows its young people are already ahead of most of the UK when it comes to higher education.

Go Humanize AI ranked 54 UK cities by the share of 18-year-olds who got a university place in 2025, using official UCAS figures.

Milton Keynes recorded an entry rate of 41.2%, the eighth highest in the study and almost five percentage points above the UK average of 36.3%.

In total, 1,280 of the city's 18-year-olds were accepted onto a course. The rate was 41.6% in Milton Keynes Central and 40.4% in Milton Keynes North.

St Albans had the highest entry rate in the UK, at 61.6%.

The top 10 UK cities where young people are least likely to go to university are:

1. Plymouth (23.3%)

2. Carlisle (24.9%)

3. Salford (25.1%)

4. Exeter (25.4%)

5. Dundee (25.5%)

6. Portsmouth (25.6%)

7. Sunderland (25.8%)

8. Swansea (26.2%)

9. Hull (26.3%)

10. Norwich (28.0%)

Source: UCAS