863,275 starts, and apprenticeships up 15%: the first rise in four years
What happened
On 8 October 2026 the Department for Education published its figures on higher level learners in England for the 2024/25 year. "Higher level" here means study at Level 4 and above. That includes degrees, but it also includes higher and degree apprenticeships, foundation degrees, and Higher Technical Qualifications. It is a wider picture than university admissions figures alone. The headline: 863,275 people started higher level study. That is up 2.5% on the previous year, and up 18.6% on 2015/16. It is the first rise in four years. Underneath that, the fastest growth was in apprenticeships. There were 138,600 apprenticeship entrants, up 15.1% in a single year. Higher education entrants excluding apprenticeships came to 663,305, up 6.4% since 2015/16. Total enrolments, meaning everyone studying rather than just those starting, reached 2,040,275, up 1.8%. The number of people finishing with a qualification was 601,280, up 3.1%. The longer-term apprenticeship figure is the most striking in the release. Apprenticeship completions reached 67,280. That is more than nine times the 2015/16 figure. Two other numbers are worth noting. Level 6 entrants, which is bachelor's degree level, numbered 471,065, or 54.6% of all entrants. And 20.1% of entrants reported having a disability.
Why this matters
For four years the direction of travel in higher level study was downwards. This release says that has turned. That matters for the obvious reason that more qualified people generally means better wages and more productive workplaces. It matters more for what is driving it. Apprenticeship entrants up 15.1% in one year is not a small shift. It suggests that the route many people still think of as second-best is being chosen in much larger numbers. The completions figure, more than nine times what it was in 2015/16, shows this is not just people starting. They are finishing. There is good reason to think this is a sensible choice and not a consolation prize. A degree apprenticeship means you are paid while you study, you do not take on tuition fee debt for it, and you finish with both a qualification and several years of real work on your CV. The disability figure is also worth pausing on. One in five entrants reporting a disability is a substantial number, and it is a reminder that higher level study is not only for people without additional needs. It also means the support arrangements universities and employers offer matter to a large group. The weakest area is Higher Technical Qualifications. An estimated 5,615 people entered them across further and higher education providers. Against 863,275 total entrants, that is very small for a route the government has pushed hard.
What the evidence actually says
Some care is needed with these figures. First, the population counted. These are English-domiciled learners in England, so they are not UK-wide, and they do not include international students. Second, the Higher Technical Qualification figure of 5,615 is explicitly described as an estimate, and the release notes that the higher education data for this measure is still in development. Treat it as indicative rather than firm. Third, a one-year rise is a change of direction, not a trend. Four years of decline followed by one year of growth tells you something has shifted, but not yet how durable it is. Next year's figures will say more. Fourth, the 15.1% jump in apprenticeship entrants is a percentage of a much smaller base than the degree route. 138,600 apprenticeship entrants against 663,305 higher education entrants. Growing fast from a smaller base is still good, but it does not mean apprenticeships are about to overtake degrees. Fifth, "entrants up 18.6% on 2015/16" covers nine years, during which the size of the relevant age group also changed. Some of that growth is demographic rather than behavioural. What is solid: more people started, more people were enrolled, more people finished, and the apprenticeship route grew notably faster than the rest.
Practical advice
If you or your child is weighing up options after school or college, the useful thing about these figures is that they show there is more than one normal path. Look at degree apprenticeships properly, not as a fallback. You are employed, you are paid, the employer covers the training, and you come out at Level 6 with work experience. Vacancies are listed on the government's Find an apprenticeship service. Be aware that the good ones close early, and applications often open in the autumn for the following September. Compare the total cost, not the headline. A three-year degree plus living costs against four or five years of being paid while studying is a very different sum. If you are an adult thinking about returning to study, check Higher Technical Qualifications and part-time options. Numbers are small, which means less competition, and many are designed around people already in work. If you have a disability or a long-term health condition, apply for support early. Disabled Students' Allowance for higher education and Access to Work for apprenticeships both exist, both take time to arrange, and both are routinely applied for too late to help in the first term. Talk to your school or college careers adviser about all three routes, not just the one the school is used to. And if you are an employer, note that completions have risen more than ninefold since 2015/16: the pool of people who have finished an apprenticeship is now substantial.
What to know
Department for Education figures published on 8 October 2026 show 863,275 English-domiciled people started higher level study in England in 2024/25. That is up 2.5% on the previous year and the first rise in four years. Apprenticeship entrants rose 15.1% to 138,600. Higher education entrants excluding apprenticeships were 663,305. Total enrolments reached 2,040,275, up 1.8%, and 601,280 people qualified, up 3.1%. Apprenticeship completions reached 67,280, more than nine times the 2015/16 figure. Level 6 entrants made up 54.6% of all entrants, and 20.1% of entrants reported a disability. Higher Technical Qualifications remain small, with an estimated 5,615 entrants, and that figure is still in development. Sources: Department for Education, 'Higher Level Learners in England', published 8 October 2026, https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/higher-level-learners-in-england; Department for Education, 'Find statistics and data', accessed 10 October 2026, https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics; Department for the Economy (Northern Ireland), 'Skills for Life and Work Bulletin - Aug 22 to Apr 26', 9 October 2026, https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/skills-for-life-and-work-bulletin-aug-22-to-apr-26 This article is for general information. Where it touches on health or medicines, it does not replace advice from a doctor, pharmacist or other qualified healthcare professional.
Related articles
Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays: the hub that opened at a football ground
On 12 October 2026, the Department for Work and Pensions announced that a new Youth Hub had opened in Exeter. The hub is for people aged 16 to 24. It is at St…
A 'veneer of progress'? The youth justice chief answers her critics
On 12 October 2026, the chief executive of the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales published an article defending the approach that now shapes how the sys…
Three years of missing accounts, and two trustees on the register
On 12 October 2026, the Charity Commission announced that it has opened a statutory inquiry into an education charity called Crossfields Institute. The charity…