Access to higher education
Published:
11 September 2024
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Data on the percentage of 19 year olds enrolled in education in the UK and internationally, over time.
Summary main findings
62% of 19 year olds in the UK enrolled in secondary or post-secondary education (including university and college courses) in 2021, compared with 48% in 2010.
Between 2016 and 2021, enrolment rates in the UK were similar to the OECD average. Before then, enrolment rates in OECD countries were consistently higher.
Enrolment rates in the UK have increased since 2010, and reached their peak in 2020 (63%).
The enrolment rate in OECD countries stayed roughly the same between 2010 and 2021, at 61% or 62%.
By year
Visualisation
Percentage of 19 year olds enrolled in secondary or post-secondary education, over time (UK and international averages, 2010 to 2021)
Click or tap on legend items to toggle visibility
Data
| Year | UK (%) | International Average (OECD) (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 62.3 | 61.8 |
| 2020 | 63.2 | 60.9 |
| 2019 | 62.4 | 61.6 |
| 2018 | 61.7 | 62.0 |
| 2017 | 62.7 | 62.5 |
| 2016 | 60.9 | 62.4 |
| 2015 | 57.6 | 62.3 |
| 2014 | 56.5 | 62.0 |
| 2013 | 58.6 | 61.6 |
| 2012 | 53.0 | 61.7 |
| 2011 | 50.2 | 62.3 |
| 2010 | 48.2 | 61.5 |
Download
For the full download file, see Download the data.
About the data
Data source
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Online Education Database: enrolment by age
Time period
2010 to 2021
Geographic area
UK and OECD countries
What the data measures
The data shows the percentage of 19 year olds entered in education in the UK, over time. It also shows the international average, measured in OECD countries.
Secondary and post-secondary education includes college, university, and vocational courses.
The data includes full-time and part-time students. In some OECD countries, part-time education is only partially covered in the data.
Things you need to know
Entry rates are calculated by dividing the number of 19 year old students by the total number of 19 year olds in the population.
Type of data
Administrative data
Full report
Read more in State of the Nation 2024 on GOV.UK.
Download the data
Download full dataset (CSV, 4KB)
This file contains the following variables:
- Indicator code
- Indicator name
- Area name
- Time period
- Socio-economic background
- Age
- Sex
- Value
- Unit
Page history
Publication release date:
11 September 2024