Academic year 2023/24

Participation measures in higher education

Higher Education initial entrants and estimated percentages of participation. Annual statistics that include student characteristics and provider type.

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• Produced by: Department for Education
• Published: 29 January 2026

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  Description of the data sets included in this release, including information on data sources, coverage, quality and any data conventions used.

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Data sets: download or create tables

Data sets present comprehensive open data from which users can create their own tables using the EES table tool or download a zipped CSV file.

18 data sets available for download

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• Overall

  National

  HE participation by ages 25, 20 and 30 (CHEP-25, CHEP-20, CHEP-30)

  • Number of rows: 39
  • Indicators:
    • Entrants
    • Rate
    • School census population
  • Filters:
    • Entry age
  • Time period: 2001/02 to 2018/19

  Data set information page
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• Age

  National

  HE participation by specific age, up to age 37, including a cumulative rate

  • Number of rows: 252
  • Indicators:
    • Cumulative rate
    • Entrants
    • Rate
  • Filters:
    • Age entered HE
  • Time period: 2001/02 to 2021/22

  Data set information page
  Create table

• Sex

  National

  HE participation by ages 25, 20 and 30 (CHEP-25, CHEP-20, CHEP-30) by sex

  • Number of rows: 117
  • Indicators:
    • Entrants
    • Rate
    • School census population
  • Filters:
    • Entry age
    • Sex
  • Time period: 2001/02 to 2018/19

  Data set information page
  Create table

• Region

  National, Regional

  HE participation by ages 25, 20 and 30 (CHEP-25, CHEP-20, CHEP-30) by region

  • Number of rows: 390
  • Indicators:
    • Entrants
    • Rate
    • School census population
  • Filters:
    • Entry age
  • Time period: 2001/02 to 2018/19

  Data set information page
  Create table

• Free School Meals

  National

  HE participation by ages 25, 20 and 30 (CHEP-25, CHEP-20, CHEP-30) by free school meal eligibility

  • Number of rows: 117
  • Indicators:
    • Entrants
    • Rate
    • School census population
  • Filters:
    • Entry age
    • Free school meals
  • Time period: 2001/02 to 2018/19

  Data set information page
  Create table

• Disadvantage

  National

  HE participation by ages 25, 20 and 30 (CHEP-25, CHEP-20, CHEP-30) by disadvantage

  • Number of rows: 45
  • Indicators:
    • Entrants
    • Rate
    • School census population
  • Filters:
    • Disadvantage
    • Entry age
  • Time period: 2009/10 to 2018/19

  Data set information page
  Create table

• Qualification aim

  National

  HE participation by ages 25, 20 and 30 (CHEP-25, CHEP-20, CHEP-30) by qualification aim

  • Number of rows: 311
  • Indicators:
    • Entrants
    • Rate
    • School census population
  • Filters:
    • Entry age
    • Qualification group
  • Time period: 2001/02 to 2018/19

  Data set information page
  Create table

• Level of study

  National

  HE participation by ages 25, 20 and 30 (CHEP-25, CHEP-20, CHEP-30) by level of study

  • Number of rows: 476
  • Indicators:
    • Entrants
    • Rate
    • School census population
  • Filters:
    • Entry age
    • Level
    • Level grouped
  • Time period: 2004/05 to 2018/19

  Data set information page
  Create table

• Mode of study

  National

  HE participation by ages 25, 20 and 30 (CHEP-25, CHEP-20, CHEP-30) by mode of study

  • Number of rows: 156
  • Indicators:
    • Entrants
    • Rate
    • School census population
  • Filters:
    • Entry age
    • Mode
  • Time period: 2001/02 to 2018/19

  Data set information page
  Create table

• Qualification aim and level of study

  National

  HE participation by ages 25, 20 and 30 (CHEP-25, CHEP-20, CHEP-30) by qualification aim and level of study

  • Number of rows: 1,049
  • Indicators:
    • Entrants
    • Rate
    • School census population
  • Filters:
    • Entry age
    • Level
    • Qualification group
  • Time period: 2004/05 to 2018/19

  Data set information page
  Create table

• Methodology comparison

  National

  HE participation by ages 25, 20 and 30 (CHEP-25, CHEP-20, CHEP-30), comparing current and previous methodology

  • Number of rows: 39
  • Indicators:
    • Entrants (new methodology)
    • Entrants (previous methodology)
    • Rate (new methodology)
  • Filters:
    • Entry age
  • Time period: 2001/02 to 2018/19

  Data set information page
  Create table

• Overall - previous methodology

  National

  HE participation by ages 25, 20 and 30 (CHEP-25, CHEP-20, CHEP-30) (previous methodology)

  • Number of rows: 39
  • Indicators:
    • Entrants
    • Rate
    • School census population
  • Filters:
    • Entry age
  • Time period: 2001/02 to 2018/19

  Data set information page
  Create table

• Age - previous methodology

  National

  HE participation by specific age, up to age 37, including a cumulative rate (previous methodology)

  • Number of rows: 252
  • Indicators:
    • Cumulative rate
    • Entrants
    • Rate
  • Filters:
    • Age entered HE
  • Time period: 2001/02 to 2021/22

  Data set information page
  Create table

• Sex - previous methodology

  National

  HE participation by ages 25, 20 and 30 (CHEP-25, CHEP-20, CHEP-30) by sex (previous methodology)

  • Number of rows: 117
  • Indicators:
    • Entrants
    • Rate
    • School census population
  • Filters:
    • Entry age
    • Sex
  • Time period: 2001/02 to 2018/19

  Data set information page
  Create table

• Region - previous methodology

  National, Regional

  HE participation by ages 25, 20 and 30 (CHEP-25, CHEP-20, CHEP-30) by region (previous methodology)

  • Number of rows: 390
  • Indicators:
    • Entrants
    • Rate
    • School census population
  • Filters:
    • Entry age
  • Time period: 2001/02 to 2018/19

  Data set information page
  Create table

• Qualification aim - previous methodology

  National

  HE participation by ages 25, 20 and 30 (CHEP-25, CHEP-20, CHEP-30) by qualification aim (previous methodology)

  • Number of rows: 272
  • Indicators:
    • Entrants
    • Rate
    • School census population
  • Filters:
    • Entry age
    • Qualification group
  • Time period: 2001/02 to 2018/19

  Data set information page
  Create table

• Mode of study - previous methodology

  National

  HE participation by ages 25, 20 and 30 (CHEP-25, CHEP-20, CHEP-30) by mode of study (previous methodology)

  • Number of rows: 117
  • Indicators:
    • Entrants
    • Rate
    • School census population
  • Filters:
    • Entry age
    • Mode
  • Time period: 2001/02 to 2018/19

  Data set information page
  Create table

• Projected measure

  National

  A comparison of a HEIP-like projection using cohort-based figures against the old HEIP projection measure

  • Number of rows: 30
  • Indicators:
    • Entrants
    • Rate
  • Filters:
    • Methodology
  • Time period: 2006/07 to 2023/24

  Data set information page
  Create table

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Data guidance

Description of the data sets included in this release, including information on data sources, coverage, quality and any data conventions used.

Description

This guidance describes the data included in the Participation Measures in Higher Education: 2023/24 Official Statistics release’s underlying data files. This data is released under the terms of the Open Government License (opens in new tab) and is intended to meet at least 3 stars for Open Data (opens in new tab).

The methodology page attached to this release should be referenced alongside this data. It provides information on the data sources, their coverage and quality as well as explaining methodology used in producing the data. 

Coverage

The release covers the latest Cohort-based Higher Education Participation (CHEP) measure.

For each cohort of pupils registered at English schools at age 15, we track their participation rates in HE by age 25 (CHEP-25). Participation rates by age 20 and by age 30 (CHEP-20, CHEP-30) are included in the underlying data files.

Data files in this publication have been produced under two different coverages. Files designated by ‘previous methodology’ have been produced in accordance with the previous publication methodology (used for the 2020/21 and 2021/22 publications and most of the 2022/23 publication), while all other files use the current methodology, which includes work-based learning, such as apprenticeships. See the methodology note for further information.

Rounding and suppression

Headcounts have not been rounded in order to maximise the utility of the statistics while minimising the risk of disclosure. Percentages are rounded to one decimal place.

More information about the Departmental policy on confidentiality can be found here:

External_Confidentiality_Policy (opens in new tab) 

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Contact us

If you have a specific enquiry about Participation measures in higher education statistics and data:

HE Participation and Provider Statistics Team

Email: he.statistics@education.gov.uk
Contact name: Louis Erritt

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If you have a media enquiry:

Telephone: 020 7783 8300

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If you have a general enquiry about the Department for Education (DfE) or education:

Phone: 0370 000 2288

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