Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many 18 to 24 year olds started a course at (1) Level 4, and (2) Level 5, in (a) 2019, and (b) 2022.

The department publishes an overview of participation and achievements in learning at National Qualifications Framework (NQF) levels 4 to 8 at further education (FE) providers and higher education (HE) providers in its annual statistical release ‘Higher-Level Learners in England’. The latest release for the 2020/21 academic year can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/higher-level-learners-in-england/2020-21#dataBlock-a5a1ee87-ec4e-44ee-776a-08da3e21c130-tables. The statistical release includes counts of entrants across different types of higher-level learning, including apprenticeships and Office for Students (OfS) recognised HE.

The specific age range requested is not available in the statistical release. The tables below show the number of entrants to NQF level 4 and 5 learning who were aged 18 to 24 in the academic years 2019/20 and 2020/21. (Student age is taken as the age as at 31 August of the reporting period). The statistics are disaggregated by the type of higher-level learning undertaken and figures are rounded to the nearest 5, in line with Higher Education Statistics Agency rounding conventions.

English-domiciled higher-level entrants to NQF level 4 learning aged 18 to 24 at English providers in 2019/20 and 2020/21

English-domiciled higher-level entrants to NQF level 5 learning aged 18 to 24 at English providers in 2019/20 and 2020/21

Statistics for the academic year 2021/22 will be published in Spring 2023 and statistics for 2022/23 will be published in Spring 2024.