Findings from the data
We have summarised the key gaps in access, continuation and attainment at a sector level for different student characteristics.
These measures are all reported using data available from the access and participation dataset (as at March 2022).
You can read the full report below, or see a summary of the key findings.
Summary of the key findings
Access to higher education
These measures show the make-up of students entering higher education.
In 2020-21, the proportion of 18-year-olds entering full-time higher education in England from areas where young people are the least represented in higher education (POLAR4 quintile 1) was 5.8 percentage points lower than the proportion of 18-year-olds living in these areas in the UK.
This gap has closed slightly over the last five years, from 6.9 percentage points in 2016-17.
Sector-level time series of gaps in the proportion of least represented 18-year-olds entering full-time higher education compared with the population

Characteristic | Category | Proportion of 18-year-olds in UK population (%) | Proportion of 18-year-olds in English higher education sector (%) | Gap between population and higher education sector (pp) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Ethnicity |
Asian |
8.3 |
17.2 |
-9.0 |
|
Black |
3.6 |
7.5 |
-3.9 |
|
Mixed |
3.2 |
5.4 |
-2.3 |
|
Other |
1.1 |
2.2 |
-1.1 |
|
White |
83.9 |
67.7 |
16.2 |
IMD |
Quintile 1 |
22.1 |
17.6 |
4.5 |
|
Quintile 5 |
19.9 |
25.4 |
-5.5 |
POLAR4 |
Quintile 1 |
17.9 |
12.0 |
5.8 |
|
Quintile 5 |
23.8 |
30.7 |
-6.9 |
Sex |
Female |
48.5 |
56.0 |
-7.6 |
|
Male |
51.5 |
44.0 |
7.6 |
Continuation
These measures show whether or not students continue their studies.
There was a 6.5 percentage point gap between the proportion of full-time students from the most and least deprived areas (IMD quintile 5 and quintile 1) continuing into their second year in 2020-21. This gap had been increasing in recent years, but the increase in continuation for students from IMD quintile 1 helped to narrow the gap.
Sector-level time series of gaps in full-time continuation rates between students from the most and least deprived areas by academic year of entry

Characteristic | Category | Full-time UG rate (%) | Full-time UG gap (pp) | Part-time UG rate (%) | Part-time UG gap (pp) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Age |
Young * |
93.6 |
|
71.8 |
|
|
Mature |
86.1 |
7.5 |
67.4 |
4.5 |
Disability |
No disability reported * |
91.6 |
|
69.0 |
|
|
Disability reported |
90.4 |
1.2 |
62.5 |
6.6 |
Disability type |
No disability reported * |
91.6 |
|
69.0 |
|
|
Cognitive or learning difficulties |
92.1 |
-0.6 |
68.9 |
0.2 |
|
Mental health condition |
88.7 |
2.9 |
56.8 |
12.2 |
|
Multiple or other impairments |
90.4 |
1.2 |
61.4 |
7.7 |
|
Sensory, medical or physical impairments |
90.1 |
1.5 |
65.1 |
3.9 |
|
Social or communication impairment |
89.2 |
2.4 |
64.0 |
5.0 |
Ethnicity |
White * |
92.0 |
|
68.3 |
|
|
Asian |
92.3 |
-0.2 |
67.6 |
0.7 |
|
Black |
87.4 |
4.7 |
63.9 |
4.5 |
|
Mixed |
90.6 |
1.5 |
65.5 |
2.9 |
|
Other |
89.2 |
2.8 |
69.0 |
-1.0 |
IMD |
Quintile 5 * |
94.6 |
|
73.7 |
|
|
Quintile 1 |
88.1 |
6.5 |
63.4 |
10.3 |
POLAR4 |
Quintile 5 * |
95.2 |
|
76.0 |
|
|
Quintile 1 |
91.4 |
3.8 |
65.1 |
10.8 |
Sex |
Male * |
89.9 |
|
68.2 |
|
|
Female |
92.5 |
-2.6 |
67.7 |
0.5 |
Notes: Attributes with a * indicate those against which other attributes are compared when deriving gaps. Because of rounding, the gaps shown in the table might not be the same as the difference between two rates.
Attainment
These measures examine the proportions of students who achieve a 1st or 2:1.
The attainment rate for full-time black students is consistently much lower than for full-time white students across the five-year time series. Although the gap has closed by around six percentage points in the last five years, it remains very large, at 17.4 percentage points in 2020-21.
Sector-level time series of gaps in full-time attainment rates between white and black students

Characteristic | Category | Full-time UG rate (%) | Full-time UG gap (pp) | Part-time UG rate (%) | Part-time UG gap (pp) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Age |
Young * |
85.8 |
|
56.5 |
|
|
Mature |
76.3 |
9.5 |
68.2 |
-11.7 |
Disability |
No disability reported * |
84.1 |
|
66.4 |
|
|
Disability reported |
83.1 |
1.1 |
63.5 |
2.9 |
Disability type |
No disability reported * |
84.1 |
|
66.4 |
|
|
Cognitive or learning difficulties |
81.8 |
2.3 |
57.0 |
9.5 |
|
Mental health condition |
84.3 |
-0.2 |
65.2 |
1.2 |
|
Multiple or other impairments |
83.7 |
0.4 |
65.2 |
1.3 |
|
Sensory, medical or physical impairments |
83.4 |
0.7 |
66.0 |
1.0 |
|
Social or communication impairment |
80.8 |
3.3 |
70.0 |
-4.0 |
Ethnicity |
White * |
86.8 |
|
70.5 |
|
|
Asian |
81.0 |
5.8 |
50.8 |
19.7 |
|
Black |
69.3 |
17.4 |
39.3 |
31.2 |
|
Mixed |
84.2 |
2.5 |
60.0 |
10.0 |
|
Other |
78.6 |
8.2 |
50.0 |
21.0 |
IMD |
Quintile 5 * |
89.7 |
|
73.6 |
|
|
Quintile 1 |
74.9 |
14.8 |
54.2 |
19.4 |
POLAR4 |
Quintile 5 * |
89.4 |
|
61.5 |
|
|
Quintile 1 |
80.8 |
8.6 |
52.0 |
9.0 |
Sex |
Male * |
82.4 |
|
66.8 |
|
|
Female |
85.0 |
-2.5 |
65.3 |
1.5 |
Note: Attainment rate reflects students obtaining a 1st or 2:1 degree. Attributes with a * indicate the one against which other attributes are compared against when deriving gaps. Because of rounding, the gaps shown in the table might not be the same as the difference between two rates.
Graduate outcomes: progression to highly skilled employment
The progression data currently shown in the dashboard uses data from the Destination of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) survey, and remains the same as the data that we published last year. Please see the 2020 sector summary report for an analysis of progression data in this release.
Archive reports
For key findings from previous years, download reports from our archives.
Last updated 24 March 2022 + show all updates
24 March 2022 - Updated with annual release of data
11 March 2021 - Updated with annual release of data
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