Academic year 2023/24

Widening participation in higher education

Annual statistics on young people's participation in higher education, including their background characteristics.

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• Produced by: Department for Education
• Published: 31 July 2025

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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.

• Data guidance

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

• Data catalogue

  Alternatively use our data catalogue to search and filter for specific data sets from this release or our entire library, providing full data summaries, data previews and access to API data sets.

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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.

11 data sets available for download

Download all (ZIP)

• All Characteristics

  National

  Progression to HE by pupil characteristics

  • Number of rows: 745
  • Indicators:
    • HE Progression Rate
    • HE Progression Rate (High Tariff)
    • Number of HE Students
  • Filters:
    • characteristic
  • Time period: 2009/10 to 2023/24

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• Free School Meals

  Local authority, National, Regional

  Progression to HE by Free School Meal eligibility

  • Number of rows: 9,229
  • Indicators:
    • HE Progression Rate
    • HE Progression Rate (High Tariff)
    • Number of HE Students
  • Filters:
    • Free School Meal Status
  • Time period: 2005/06 to 2023/24

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• Free School Meals - Gap

  Local authority, National, Regional

  Progression to HE by Free School Meal eligibility (including progression rate gap)

  • Number of rows: 3,080
  • Indicators:
    • HE Progression Rate
    • HE Progression Rate (FSM)
    • HE Progression Rate (Non-FSM)
  • Time period: 2005/06 to 2023/24

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• Free School Meals, Sex and Ethnic Group

  National

  Progression to HE by Free School Meal eligibility, Sex and Ethnic Group

  • Number of rows: 3,240
  • Indicators:
    • HE Progression Rate
    • HE Progression Rate (High Tariff)
    • Number of HE Students
  • Filters:
    • Ethnic Group
    • Free School Meal Status
    • Sex
  • Time period: 2009/10 to 2023/24

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• Free School Meals, Sex and Ethnic Group - Region

  Regional

  Progression to HE by Free School Meal eligibility, Sex and Ethnic Group - Regional level

  • Number of rows: 8,505
  • Indicators:
    • HE Progression Rate
    • HE Progression Rate (High Tariff)
    • Number of HE Students
  • Filters:
    • Ethnic Group
    • Free School Meal Status
    • Sex
  • Time period: 2009/10 to 2023/24

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• Sex

  Local authority, National, Regional

  Progression to HE by Sex

  • Number of rows: 7,308
  • Indicators:
    • HE Progression Rate
    • HE Progression Rate (High Tariff)
    • Number of HE Students
  • Filters:
    • Sex
  • Time period: 2009/10 to 2023/24

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• Ethnicity

  Local authority, National, Regional

  Progression to HE by Ethnic Group

  • Number of rows: 55,149
  • Indicators:
    • HE Progression Rate
    • HE Progression Rate (High Tariff)
    • Number of HE Students
  • Filters:
    • Ethnic Group
  • Time period: 2009/10 to 2023/24

  Data set information page
  Create table

• Special Educational Needs

  Local authority, National, Regional

  Progression to HE by Special Educational Need Status

  • Number of rows: 7,308
  • Indicators:
    • HE Progression Rate
    • HE Progression Rate (High Tariff)
    • Number of HE Students
  • Filters:
    • SEN Status
  • Time period: 2009/10 to 2023/24

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• School Type

  National

  Progression to HE by School Type

  • Number of rows: 120
  • Indicators:
    • HE Progression Rate
    • HE Progression Rate (High Tariff)
    • Number of HE Students
  • Filters:
    • A level status
    • School Type
  • Time period: 2008/09 to 2023/24

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• School Type - Gap

  National

  Progression to HE by School Type (including progression rate gap)

  • Number of rows: 30
  • Indicators:
    • HE Progression Rate (Independent)
    • HE Progression Rate (State)
    • High Tariff HE Progression Rate (Independent)
  • Filters:
    • A level status
  • Time period: 2008/09 to 2023/24

  Data set information page
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• Tariff Groups

  Provider

  HE providers by tariff group

  • Number of rows: 3,059
  • Indicators:
    • Mean Tariff
  • Filters:
    • Tariff Group
  • Time period: 2008/09 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 document describes the data included in the Widening Participation in Higher Education: 2022/23 Official Statistics release’s underlying data files.

The methodology document 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 two measures of progression to Higher Education by age 19. 

The first shows progression to HE by pupil characteristics for pupils aged 15 in English state-funded schools and special schools (including non-maintained special schools). 

The second relates to progression to HE by school type for pupils aged 17 who were entered for A levels or equivalent level 3 qualifications at English schools and colleges. 

File formats and conventions

Rounding 

We are removing rounding and suppression of data where possible in order to maximise the utility of the statistics while minimising the risk of disclosure. 

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

External_Confidentiality_Policy (opens in new tab)

Data relating to Children in Need and Looked After children is rounded to the nearest percentage for rates and to the nearest 10 for counts of pupils given the sensitivity of these statistics. 

Conventions 

The following convention is used throughout the underlying data. 

‘x’ Not applicable

‘c’ Confidential

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Contact us

If you have a specific enquiry about Widening participation in higher education statistics and data:

Widening participation statistics

Email: HE.statistics@education.gov.uk
Contact name: John Simes

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