In Nature of December 6, in the course of an article on “University Expansion in Great Britain”, a statement is attributed to Lord Simon to the effect that the output of arts graduates has risen more rapidly than that of science graduates, due to relatively greater ease of expansion on the arts side. Against this remark should be set the figures for university ‘populations’ given in a written answer by Sir Stafford Cripps in the House of Commons (Hansard, House of Commons, December 1). The total number of full-time students at university institutions in Great Britain for the autumn term 1947 was 76,764, compared with 50,246 for the academic year 1938–39. Analysing these totals by faculties, the figures for arts students were 34,200 and 22,512 respectively. The figures under pure science are 14,520 for 1947 and 7,767 for 1938–39; and an approximate doubling is also shown under technology (10,143 and 5,288) and under agriculture (2,337 and 1,043). Thus, whatever may be the present position with regard to the employment of arts graduates, the actual numbers of students in the arts faculties and in the science and technological faculties now in British universities have increased by about the same numbers since 1938–39, namely, 11,688 and 12,902 respectively; but whereas this represents an increase in the arts faculties of 52 per cent, in the science and technology faculties the increase is 91·5 per cent.