undergraduates

USAGE SUMMARY

The word 'undergraduates' is correct and usable in written English.
You could use it when referring to university students who are still working on their undergraduate degree, i.e., those who haven't yet earned their bachelor's degree. Example: The university president spoke to the incoming freshmen and undergraduates about their academic expectations.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

The university – where a quarter of undergraduates are of east Asian origin – was accused of racial stereotyping by some students.

The Guardian

It recruits almost exclusively final-year undergraduates or those studying for masters degrees.

The Guardian

The National Union of Students (NUS) said it had paid £8,000 for space on billboards at London Victoria, Manchester Piccadilly, and Sheffield Central stations to highlight what it sees as the party's broken 2010 manifesto commitment to scrap tuition fees for undergraduates by 2016.

The Guardian

Undergraduates at Nottingham all do comparative politics and international relations as well as political theory when they start, and by their third year, depending on what researchers are teaching at the time, there are options in environmental politics, European politics and globalisation.

The Guardian

They've upgraded the students' common rooms (vital for a central London site where everything is ruinously expensive), and Professor Brendan O'Leary is anxious to reassure them that although graduate students outnumber undergraduates, "it is the undergraduates who are with us longer and who are our future".

The Guardian

Fees £9,000 for full-time home and EU undergraduates in 2015-16.

The Guardian

The value of the education GTAs provide undergraduates with is worth much more than £48.45 of their £9,000 annual fees.

The Guardian

Speaking at the launch of a website designed to help graduates find work in the capital, Johnson said it was vital undergraduates held their nerve and remained in full-time study.

The Guardian - Money

Despite years of effort, more than 40% of Oxford's annual intake of undergraduates remain privately educated, far in excess of the proportion of the UK population as a whole, and only 45% of undergraduates are women.

The Guardian

Student experience not being exclusively about academia obviously plays an important part, especially now undergraduates are paying up to £9,000 a year.

The Guardian - Opinion

The gender ratio in our group was mixed: two male students and three female students, at various stages in their academic lives ranging from undergraduates to those completing PHDs.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "undergraduates" when referring specifically to students pursuing a bachelor's degree. This term clearly distinguishes them from graduate students or those in other types of educational programs.

Common error

Avoid using "undergraduates" when you mean to refer to the entire student body, including graduate students and other non-bachelor's degree seekers. Use the term "students" for a more inclusive reference.

Linguistic Context

The term "undergraduates" functions primarily as a noun, specifically a plural noun. It identifies a group of individuals who are currently pursuing their undergraduate degrees at a college or university. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, this usage is correct and widespread.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

41%

The Economist

30%

The Guardian

29%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Science

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "undergraduates" is a grammatically sound and widely used term to refer to students pursuing a bachelor's degree. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness. Its function is primarily to identify and categorize these students, and it is used in a neutral to professional register. While the term is prevalent across various contexts, it is most frequently found in news and media, particularly in publications like The Economist and The Guardian. When writing, remember to use "undergraduates" specifically when referring to bachelor's degree candidates and avoid using it as a generic term for all students. Consider alternatives like ""college students"" or ""university students"" depending on the context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

undergraduate students

Replaces the noun "undergraduates" with the adjective "undergraduate" modifying "students".

college students

Refers to students in a college or university, especially those studying for a bachelor's degree.

university students

Similar to college students, but specifically emphasizes attendance at a university.

bachelor's candidates

Focuses on the students as candidates for a bachelor's degree, highlighting their status.

tertiary students

A broader term encompassing all students in post-secondary education.

freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors

Specifically identifies students by their year of study in a four-year program.

matriculated students

Highlights students who have formally enrolled in a degree program.

enrolled students

General term for students who are registered for courses.

higher education students

A very broad term that includes both undergraduate and graduate students.

students in higher education

Rephrases higher education students as a prepositional phrase.

FAQs

How do I use "undergraduates" in a sentence?

Use "undergraduates" to refer to students pursuing a bachelor's degree, as in, "The university offers numerous resources for its "undergraduates"."

What is a synonym for "undergraduates"?

Alternatives to "undergraduates" include "college students", "university students", or "undergraduate students" depending on the specific context.

Is it correct to use "undergraduates" when referring to students in a two-year program?

"Undergraduates" typically refers to students in a four-year bachelor's degree program. For students in a two-year program, consider using the term "community college students" or "associate degree candidates".

What's the difference between "undergraduates" and "graduates"?

"Undergraduates" are students pursuing their first degree (bachelor's), while "graduates" are students pursuing advanced degrees (master's, doctorate) after completing their undergraduate studies. Therefore, "graduates" have already completed their bachelor's degrees.