Progression to higher education or training by council, England

Level 3 students in state-funded mainstream schools and colleges and those who went on to a degree, another level 4 or 5 course or a higher apprenticeship, in each of England's councils with education duties, with the regions and England, from the DfE.

England

399,817

2022/23 · Level 3 students

Verified against source, 1 November 2026, 12:21 UTC

Progression to higher education or training by council, England

Source: Department for Education. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Data table

161 rows

Area	Level 3 students	Level 4 or higher	A degree	A level 4 or 5 course	A higher apprenticeship	A top third university
Hampshire E10000014	12,685	7,693	7,074	295	324	2,210
Kent E10000016	11,790	7,371	6,832	226	313	2,171
Hertfordshire E10000015	11,073	7,411	6,875	197	339	2,428
Essex E10000012	10,243	5,844	5,316	155	373	1,433
Lancashire E10000017	8,376	5,214	4,677	187	350	1,288
Surrey E10000030	8,248	5,566	5,250	147	169	1,933
Birmingham E08000025	7,842	5,804	5,452	164	188	1,406
Leeds E08000035	6,066	3,782	3,454	194	134	921
Staffordshire E10000028	5,890	3,294	2,894	192	208	519
Oxfordshire E10000025	5,840	3,395	3,168	79	148	943
Gloucestershire E10000013	5,572	3,384	3,090	127	167	1,095
West Sussex E10000032	5,383	2,939	2,716	121	102	680
Norfolk E10000020	5,201	2,726	2,497	121	108	586
Warwickshire E10000031	4,808	3,004	2,756	114	134	898
Suffolk E10000029	4,706	2,434	2,205	86	143	483
Cambridgeshire E10000003	4,619	3,065	2,833	132	100	1,096
Manchester E08000003	4,535	3,384	3,229	68	87	811
Lincolnshire E10000019	4,469	2,858	2,595	150	113	816
Buckinghamshire E06000060	4,423	3,456	3,228	87	141	1,676
Tower Hamlets E09000030	4,398	2,670	2,511	65	94	445
Devon E10000008	4,365	2,306	2,109	91	106	778
Newcastle upon Tyne E08000021	4,269	2,349	1,919	366	64	444
Barnet E09000003	4,032	3,192	3,085	50	57	1,341
Leicestershire E10000018	3,999	2,435	2,238	90	107	525
Nottinghamshire E10000024	3,993	2,537	2,336	96	105	769
Dudley E08000027	3,931	2,317	2,059	150	108	381
Camden E09000007	3,755	2,548	2,435	80	33	447
Kirklees E08000034	3,736	2,502	2,331	67	104	659
Cheshire East E06000049	3,687	1,869	1,664	91	114	417
Cornwall E06000052	3,594	1,777	1,616	121	40	472
Sheffield E08000019 its area before 1 April 2025	3,578	2,428	2,215	156	57	636
Solihull E08000029	3,526	2,149	1,931	111	107	392
West Northamptonshire E06000062	3,508	2,108	1,955	77	76	441
Leicester E06000016	3,503	2,389	2,229	91	69	344
Bradford E08000032	3,389	2,274	2,183	41	50	385
Somerset E06000066	3,304	1,716	1,513	87	116	462
Liverpool E08000012	3,254	2,231	2,080	108	43	387
Bromley E09000006	3,225	2,183	2,024	62	97	666
Newham E09000025	3,183	2,454	2,319	47	88	919
North Yorkshire E06000065	3,173	2,094	1,964	54	76	739
County Durham E06000047	3,158	1,779	1,538	159	82	476
Worcestershire E10000034	3,084	1,837	1,662	72	103	415
Hillingdon E09000017	3,077	2,148	1,976	109	63	358
Derbyshire E10000007	2,976	1,907	1,704	98	105	520
Sandwell E08000028	2,927	1,852	1,728	71	53	185
Nottingham E06000018	2,903	1,880	1,710	122	48	355
East Sussex E10000011	2,848	1,306	1,172	73	61	235
Trafford E08000009	2,844	1,872	1,763	42	67	724
Redbridge E09000026	2,826	2,399	2,238	52	109	606
Wiltshire E06000054	2,810	1,746	1,639	51	56	595
Brighton and Hove E06000043	2,773	1,916	1,852	27	37	776
Wakefield E08000036	2,716	1,635	1,431	139	65	359
Waltham Forest E09000031	2,663	1,793	1,714	34	45	211
Bristol, City of E06000023	2,603	1,636	1,523	51	62	511
Croydon E09000008	2,594	1,744	1,657	45	42	259
Wigan E08000010	2,584	1,618	1,462	67	89	399
Southend-on-Sea E06000033	2,507	1,402	1,250	94	58	422
Wirral E08000015	2,471	1,577	1,489	39	49	359
Slough E06000039	2,431	1,694	1,595	40	59	451
Medway E06000035	2,423	1,347	1,225	41	81	260
Coventry E08000026	2,389	1,553	1,419	55	79	264
York E06000014	2,379	1,223	1,103	66	54	399
Kingston upon Thames E09000021	2,360	1,582	1,491	70	21	550
Walsall E08000030	2,342	1,469	1,326	64	79	269
Bedford E06000055	2,333	1,230	1,029	124	77	151
Harrow E09000015	2,321	1,829	1,742	34	53	529
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole E06000058	2,293	1,370	1,260	37	73	437
Milton Keynes E06000042	2,232	1,412	1,281	65	66	249
Peterborough E06000031	2,207	1,236	1,100	86	50	246
Doncaster E08000017	2,192	1,204	1,099	60	45	264
Bury E08000002	2,180	1,341	1,234	66	41	222
Dorset E06000059	2,150	1,202	1,086	54	62	345
Sutton E09000029	2,141	1,841	1,754	42	45	872
Ealing E09000009	2,122	1,805	1,728	39	38	565
Westminster E09000033	2,109	1,616	1,539	41	36	574
Kingston upon Hull, City of E06000010	2,098	1,271	1,149	65	57	231
Hounslow E09000018	2,095	1,590	1,520	38	32	405
Cheshire West and Chester E06000050	2,058	1,541	1,450	16	75	595
South Gloucestershire E06000025	2,002	1,021	899	64	58	177
Wandsworth E09000032	1,970	1,553	1,504	28	21	334
Oldham E08000004	1,953	1,330	1,235	50	45	214
Tameside E08000008	1,952	1,074	998	39	37	186
Bexley E09000004	1,917	1,450	1,348	28	74	522
Derby E06000015	1,910	1,151	1,021	57	73	215
Enfield E09000010	1,904	1,486	1,426	34	26	398
Rotherham E08000018	1,794	978	909	37	32	165
Herefordshire, County of E06000019	1,775	902	859	20	23	286
Wolverhampton E08000031	1,771	1,213	1,129	32	52	186
Sunderland E08000024	1,767	914	753	128	33	183
Middlesbrough E06000002	1,723	859	696	125	38	88
Shropshire E06000051	1,723	1,023	948	34	41	222
Sefton E08000014	1,707	892	838	30	24	97
Plymouth E06000026	1,697	897	825	30	42	206
Barnsley E08000016 its area before 1 April 2025	1,689	866	751	81	34	129
Warrington E06000007	1,670	897	812	38	47	174
Brent E09000005	1,669	1,411	1,347	17	47	478
Bolton E08000001	1,652	996	907	32	57	128
Luton E06000032	1,620	1,137	1,073	21	43	162
Barking and Dagenham E09000002	1,602	1,228	1,148	19	61	276
Haringey E09000014	1,590	1,290	1,249	18	23	440
Blackpool E06000009	1,580	751	620	87	44	121
Rochdale E08000005	1,575	1,032	921	65	46	214
North East Lincolnshire E06000012	1,563	713	605	83	25	69
North Northamptonshire E06000061	1,557	1,120	1,068	25	27	295
St. Helens E08000013	1,557	894	810	53	31	159
Swindon E06000030	1,556	839	740	75	24	120
East Riding of Yorkshire E06000011	1,554	860	767	61	32	169
Bath and North East Somerset E06000022	1,554	983	932	22	29	317
Lewisham E09000023	1,538	1,244	1,192	25	27	200
North Somerset E06000024	1,510	845	769	19	57	236
Gateshead E08000037	1,502	826	741	42	43	191
Southwark E09000028	1,493	1,294	1,228	16	50	473
Greenwich E09000011	1,425	1,083	1,027	19	37	218
Westmorland and Furness E06000064	1,422	811	685	40	86	216
Salford E08000006	1,375	724	632	60	32	59
Lambeth E09000022	1,346	1,045	995	26	24	278
Hackney E09000012	1,345	1,077	1,027	26	24	327
Stockport E08000007	1,314	914	864	14	36	296
Telford and Wrekin E06000020	1,295	788	703	27	58	224
Northumberland E06000057	1,283	843	798	18	27	271
Stoke-on-Trent E06000021	1,272	842	790	16	36	125
Darlington E06000005	1,259	754	702	17	35	179
Halton E06000006	1,259	723	651	43	29	101
Hammersmith and Fulham E09000013	1,234	954	916	17	21	319
Cumberland E06000063	1,227	728	606	16	106	176
West Berkshire E06000037	1,221	800	740	31	29	269
Blackburn with Darwen E06000008	1,214	695	628	41	26	79
Calderdale E08000033	1,202	711	650	30	31	125
Central Bedfordshire E06000056	1,143	748	686	15	47	184
Torbay E06000027	1,081	579	500	56	23	214
Wokingham E06000041	1,048	847	794	8	45	275
Stockton-on-Tees E06000004	950	553	503	37	13	99
Southampton E06000045	922	427	411	5	11	74
Windsor and Maidenhead E06000040	892	648	613	9	26	202
Redcar and Cleveland E06000003	847	574	527	21	26	125
Havering E09000016	817	623	549	3	71	177
South Tyneside E08000023	808	436	382	44	10	108
Portsmouth E06000044	807	390	338	21	31	56
Richmond upon Thames E09000027	803	686	673	6	7	343
Kensington and Chelsea E09000020	798	656	641	8	7	241
North Lincolnshire E06000013	782	469	444	11	14	76
Reading E06000038	767	569	542	5	22	261
North Tyneside E08000022	750	527	500	8	19	175
Islington E09000019	748	506	486	14	6	150
Merton E09000024	747	625	602	2	21	148
Isle of Wight E06000046	725	372	348	14	10	67
Bracknell Forest E06000036	591	359	341	3	15	100
Thurrock E06000034	482	366	346	4	16	97
Hartlepool E06000001	413	177	136	34	7	22
Rutland E06000017	167	134	129	0	5	65
Knowsley E08000011	50	21	19	0	2	2
Barnsley E08000038	given for its area before 1 April 2025, under E08000016	given for its area before 1 April 2025, under E08000016	given for its area before 1 April 2025, under E08000016	given for its area before 1 April 2025, under E08000016	given for its area before 1 April 2025, under E08000016	given for its area before 1 April 2025, under E08000016
City of London E09000001	no state-funded mainstream school or college with level 3 students	no state-funded mainstream school or college with level 3 students	no state-funded mainstream school or college with level 3 students	no state-funded mainstream school or college with level 3 students	no state-funded mainstream school or college with level 3 students	no state-funded mainstream school or college with level 3 students
Isles of Scilly E06000053	no state-funded mainstream school or college with level 3 students	no state-funded mainstream school or college with level 3 students	no state-funded mainstream school or college with level 3 students	no state-funded mainstream school or college with level 3 students	no state-funded mainstream school or college with level 3 students	no state-funded mainstream school or college with level 3 students
Sheffield E08000039	given for its area before 1 April 2025, under E08000019	given for its area before 1 April 2025, under E08000019	given for its area before 1 April 2025, under E08000019	given for its area before 1 April 2025, under E08000019	given for its area before 1 April 2025, under E08000019	given for its area before 1 April 2025, under E08000019
North East	18,729	10,591	9,195	999	397	2,361
North West	53,496	33,129	30,274	1,292	1,563	7,424
Yorkshire and The Humber	37,911	23,010	21,055	1,145	810	5,326
East Midlands	28,985	18,519	16,985	806	728	4,345
West Midlands	44,575	28,047	25,656	1,122	1,269	5,772
East of England	46,134	27,599	25,210	1,035	1,354	7,288
London	65,847	49,605	47,091	1,114	1,400	14,069
South East	68,049	42,507	39,520	1,297	1,690	12,888
South West	36,091	20,301	18,501	885	915	5,965
England	399,817	253,308	233,487	9,695	10,126	65,438

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Map

Level 3 students · 128 areas, each shaded by the fifth of the areas its figure falls in

50 to 1,227
1,227 to 1,590
1,590 to 2,141
2,141 to 2,844
2,844 to 7,842

Boundaries: Council boundaries, May 2026, from the geography spine. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026.

Source and licence

Publisher

Department for Education

Check it yourself

https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/progression-to-higher-education-or-training

Licence

Open Government Licence v3.0 – Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Retrieved

1 November 2026, 12:17 UTC

Raw files fetched

https://api.education.gov.uk/statistics/v1/data-sets/019d4f39-da2c-77a6-8deb-caf00018466d/meta?dataSetVersion=2.0SHA-256 778df89efc92db7e5f1b1e14404b2b22ff27eed1ca531e5d069e91c523d78251 · 237,190 bytes
https://api.education.gov.uk/statistics/v1/data-sets/019d4f39-da2c-77a6-8deb-caf00018466d/query?dataSetVersion=2.0&indicators=mUBh9,gI3fO,AOlXG&geographicLevels.in=LA,REG,NAT&timePeriods.eq=2022%2F2023%7CAY&filters.notIn=L1wNW,6GXBr,qYp5j,BSe47,ksrEh,uWsNo,X5oaf,Ty3rP,fdm3Y,jHSkA,5R26d,tXvmE,eLZqu,Ty3EP,hxNfy,mlMC9,gJdcO,AzVlG,VUWq5,Pa8Ce,1jB4i,dklO0,uWsfo,lrEPc,U8inR,o2xFm,rgf2N,GF56g,3DjU8,S4LXV,yMDua,RZ6Pk,5R2nd,431oU,mlMu9,0hcdT,WibW2,9c124,dkcR0,OvTvC,7Vo5X,p9LUS,Ipe5B,iAXC6,L1bDW,6Gf7r,0h3cT,HTUUz,CnPeI,Y04RH,qYSdj,aKwqL,zPRWF,ksNqh,uWxDo,X5mLf,QIFtw,9c1k4,26EZl,PaZ4e,wBJgb,o2Mam,Ty8NP,cNjY3,93P74,tXn9E,fd98Y,jHVhA,Ty8qP,hxDYy,mlKI9,gJ03O,Az5cG,VU2j5&pageSize=10000SHA-256 a64bde89d7dc508c0014a6316388918e5c4cf53d5acf3a5bc5bb5ed7f36f6d95 · 288,090 bytes

Verification

Verified against source, 1 November 2026, 12:21 UTC Run at 1 November 2026, 12:21 UTC; 966 of 966 figures matched the live source.

Result	Check	Detail
Pass	Provenance recorded	Department for Education; Open Government Licence v3.0; retrieved 2026-11-01T12:17:01Z; 2 raw file(s)
Pass	Raw files match recorded SHA-256	2 of 2 files intact
Pass	Re-parsing raw files reproduces figures	966 of 966 figures and the headline reproduced
Pass	Figures are finite numbers	966 figures, 0 invalid
Pass	Live source matches every figure	966 of 966 figures match exactly after downloading 2 source file(s) again (1 byte-identical); the headline matches
Pass	EES data set is current	latest period 2022/23 ended 1158 days before retrieval (limit 1600)
Pass	The data set's CSV agrees	2445 of 2445 cells of the stored query, figures and marks, equal version 2.0's CSV (https://api.education.gov.uk/statistics/v1/data-sets/019d4f39-da2c-77a6-8deb-caf00018466d/csv?dataSetVersion=2.0, 815 rows read)
Pass	The councils add up to their region and the regions to England	100 comparisons expected, each region's councils and England's regions in every count and combination: 100 within the rounding the DfE states (100 exactly); E06000053, E09000001, which the data set gives no row for, in no sum; no sum can show one council's figure filed under another's code: only the CSV's agreement, and another publication where there is one, bear on that
Pass	Each share and average is its count over its whole	815 of 815 shares and averages by area and combination are their counts' ratio, within the rounding the DfE states
Pass	Source page answers	https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/progression-to-higher-education-or-training – HTTP 200

Notes

Students who took level 3 qualifications in state-funded mainstream schools and colleges and were at the end of 16 to 19 study in the academic year shown, and those who sustained a level 4 or higher destination in the two years after: a degree, another level 4 or 5 course or a higher apprenticeship, as the DfE's progression measure counts them, by their last six months in a row in that time. A top third university is one of those whose intake has the highest UCAS tariff scores, a third of students in all, as the DfE groups them, and is part of a degree.
Pupils and students are counted in the council area their school or college is in, not where they live: the DfE's methodology says “At local authority level, schools or colleges are recorded in their administrative local authority that may not reflect their postcode location.”
The DfE gives these figures for England's 153 councils with education and children's services duties (its unitary, metropolitan and London councils and its 21 counties), not for districts.
The DfE gives Barnsley and Sheffield under the codes they had before part of Barnsley moved into Sheffield on the 1st of April 2025 (E08000016 and E08000019), and they are shown so.
The Isles of Scilly and the City of London have no row: the DfE gives no row for the Isles of Scilly or the City of London.