Statistics published by the Universities and College Admissions Service (UCAS), UK, show the number of students starting chemical engineering courses has almost doubled in the past five years.

The “End of Cycle” statistics released by UCAS reports that 2014 saw a 28% increase over 2013 in the number of undergraduates starting a chemical engineering course.

The number of chemical engineering students has increased by 97% in the UK in the past five years.

The increase for all UK engineering and science undergraduates was 7% in 2014, up 22% since 2009.

“Students and parents also know that chemical engineering provides attractive salaries, global employment opportunities in some of the world’s biggest organizations, and has been largely recession proof since the economic downturn in 2008,” says Institution of Chemical Engineers Director of Policy, Andy Furlong.

He says the expansion presents some "significant challenges" for the academic chemical engineering community; including maintaining teaching standards and ensuring that undergraduates enjoy a high-quality experience.

Chemical engineering also continues to be the most popular engineering career for women—females accounted for one-quarter of undergraduates in 2014.

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