POLAR4 classifies local areas across the UK according to the young participation rate in higher education using Middle-Layer Super Output Areas (MSOAs) for England and Wales, Intermediate Zones for Scotland, and Super Output Areas for Northern Ireland (second-level statistical building block).
The young participation rate is calculated by dividing the number of young people from each area who enter higher education aged 18 or 19 by the young population of that area.
POLAR4 was calculated using data on students who begun their studies between 2009-10 and 2013-14.
The areas are then ranked by participation rate and split into five quintiles, each of which represents about a fifth of the young population.
POLAR4 does not limit the student population by school type and does not track individual students.
POLAR4 is the most recent iteration of POLAR. Read more about POLAR4.
