Widening participation in higher education
Annual statistics on young people's participation in higher education, including their background characteristics.
- Release type
- Produced by
- Department for Education
- Published
- Last updated
Get help by contacting us
If you have a specific enquiry about Widening participation in higher education statistics and data:
Widening participation statistics
Email: HE.statistics@education.gov.ukContact name: John Simes
Press office
If you have a media enquiry:
Telephone: 020 7783 8300
Public enquiries
If you have a general enquiry about the Department for Education (DfE) or education:
Phone: 0370 000 2288
Opening times
Monday to Friday from 9.30am to 5.30pm (closed on bank holidays)
Official statistics
These are Official Statistics and have been produced in line with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics (opens in new tab).
This can be broadly interpreted to mean that these statistics are:
- managed impartially and objectively in the public interest
- meet identified user needs
- produced according to sound methods
- well explained and readily accessible
Find out more about the standards we follow to produce these statistics through our Standards for official statistics published by DfE guidance (opens in new tab).
Our statistical practice is regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR).
OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics (opens in new tab) that all producers of official statistics should adhere to.
You are welcome to contact us directly with any comments about how we meet these standards. Alternatively, you can contact OSR by emailing regulation@statistics.gov.uk or via the OSR website (opens in new tab).
Pre-release access list
Besides Department for Education (DfE) professional and production staff, the following post holders were given pre-release access up to 24 hours before release.
- Secretary of State for Education
- Minister for Skills
- Minister for Children and Families
- Special Advisor x 4
- Permanent Secretary
- Media Officer x 5
- Director General, Skills Group
- Director, Skills Journey
- Director, HE Oversight
- Chief Analyst
- Head of Profession for Statistics
- Deputy Head of Profession for Statistics
- Social Justice and Disadvantage x 5