Widening participation in higher education: 2026
Annual statistics on participation in higher education by pupil and study characteristics.
Applies to England
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Statistics providing information on widening participation in higher education (HE).
This release primarily focuses on participation in HE by age 19 and age 25 for state-funded pupils. Estimated participation rates by ages 18, 19, 20, 25 and 30 are available in the underlying data.
Participation rates are broken down by pupil and study characteristics, including:
- free school meal eligibility
- sex
- ethnicity
- level of study
- school or college type
Data on participation in high tariff HE is also available, as well as regional and local authority breakdowns.
This release now includes statistics previously published in the Participation measures in higher education series. Bringing these statistics together in a single publication provides a more comprehensive picture of HE participation and enables more timely reporting.
An interactive dashboard accompanies this release, allowing users to explore participation rates by age 19 and age 25 across a range of pupil and study characteristics.