Key Statistics 2021-22
This summary of 2021-22 key statistics demonstrates the continued success of the Access to HE Diploma inenabling adults to enter and succeed in higher education, and to support local and national skills needs.
The Access to HE Diploma is a widely recognised Level 3 qualification that provides opportunities for adults totransition to enter higher education. It also offers chances for adults wishing to retrain for a second
graduate-entry profession by delivering locally-devised, flexible courses across the UK.
In 2021-22:

40,855

22,630Access to HE students
entered higher education

students registered to study
an Access to HE Diploma

Access to HE students applying tohigher education accepted for
September 2021 entry

2020-21: 23,865

2020-21: 43,420

2020-21: 23,725

Source: Jisc/HESA

Source: DfE/AVAs

Source: UCAS

23,290Students entering higher education in September 2021 with an Access to HE Diploma
FemaleOver 25

From ethnic minorities

With a disability

From disadvantaged
area

77%

59%

29%

26%

24%

other Level 3
57% qualifications

other Level 3
25% qualifications

other Level 3
24% qualifications

other Level 3
15% qualifications

other Level 3
11% qualifications

Source: Jisc/HESA

What do they study in higher education?
Access toHE Diploma

Otherqualifications

Undergraduate degree

92.43%

86.74%

Further education

0.03%

0.04%

Other undergraduate

7.54%

Access toHE Diploma

Otherqualifications

Subjects allied
to medicine

16.2%

6.1%

Business andmanagement

5.8%

18.3%

Psychology

5.6%

4.7%

Social sciences

4.4%

7.4%

Biological andsport sciences

3.0%

4.8%

13.21%

Source: Jisc/HESA

1.8%

Subject of studyof Access to HE Diploma
students are studying a higher
level or degree apprenticeship

Read Zia’s story
Source: Jisc/HESA

Where do they study in higher education?

245

Access to HE Diploma students(1.1% of all Access to HE entrants)
entered higher education at
providers in Scotland

77%

Scotland95%of Access to HEstudents stayed in theirlocal area to study inhigher education.
North
East
North 90%
West
84%

NorthernIreland
84%

Yorkshire &the Humber
78%

East Midlands
65%

Wales
82%

200

Access to HE Diploma students(0.9% of all Access to HE entrants)
entered higher education at
providers in Northern Ireland

WestMidlands
81%

East66%London
74%
South East
58%

South West
72%

Source: UCAS

1,385

Access to HE Diploma students (5.9%of all Access to HE entrants) enteredhigher education at providers in Wales

21,460Access to HE Diploma students (92.1% ofall Access to HE entrants) entered higher
education at providers in England

Read James’sstory

to HE students studying in the South East
16.8% ofareAccessaccepted by higher education providers in London

Degree outcomes in summer 2022 for students
entering higher education with an Access toHE Diploma

FirstAccess toHE students

Students with otherqualifications

25.3%

26.1%

How well are they retained?
Non-continuation rate mature students
11.2%

Access toHE students

14.9%

Students
with otherqualifications

Source: Jisc/HESA

Employment
2:1

32.8%

37.7%
Employed

2:2

Source: Jisc/HESA

18.0%

13.7%

70.6%

Access to
HE students

Source: Jisc/HESA

60.2%

Students
with otherqualifications

Students registered to study on an Access to HE Diploma in 2021-22
FemaleOver 25

From ethnic minorities

With a disability

From disadvantaged
area

75%

53%

27%

16%

26%

other Level 3
61% qualifications

other Level 374% qualifications

other Level 3
26% qualifications

other Level 3
18% qualifications

other Level 3
47% qualifications

Source: DfE/AVAs

What do they study as their Access to HE Diploma?

In 2021-22 students studied on

Access to HE
student
registrations

197 different Diploma titles.

% of all Accessto HE student
registrations

Access to HE
student
registrations

Take a look at
our course search% of all Accessto HE student
registrations

24,745

Health, PublicServices and Care

60.6%
6.1%

2,355
4.4%

Business,
Administrationand Law

5.8%
7.4%

4,810
5.8%Science andMathematics

18.3%
11.8%

1,135
3%Arts, Mediaand Publishing

4.8%
2.8%

11.6%
4.7%

in subjects in Health,60.6% werePublic Services and Care.

4,735
5.6%

Social Sciences

Read Abigail’s story
Source: DfE/AVAs

Where do they study their Access to HE Diploma?

115

Access to HE students (0.3% ofall registrations) are studying at
providers in Northern Ireland,
Channel Islands and Isle of Man

within a further
74.5% study
education college

2,005

Access to HE students (4.9% ofall registrations) are studying at
providers in Wales

22.8% training provider or other

Access to HE students (94.8%38,740 of all registrations) are studying
at providers in England

Source: DfE/AVAs

study within a private
education provider

within a higher
2.7% study
education provider

What results do they get?

92.8%

65.8%

How well are they retained on theirAccess to HE Diploma?

14.6%

76.1%
of students completing
their course in 2021-22
were awarded
the Diplomaof all registeredstudents completed
their Diploma byAugust 2022

Retention rate

All Distinction
grade profile

Source: DfE/AVAs

35.3%
of all withdrawals occur
within the first 43 daysof a student starting
their course.

Source: DfE/AVAs

Labour market information – meeting skills needs; growing occupations
Business and Finance+34,729
Sales and Marketing+16,792

Nursing and Midwifery

Information Technology+26,197+19,022

Teaching+8,871

Browse Career
Coach for thelatest information

Source: Lightcast

Making sense of the figures
The data used in this publication is provided from a variety of sources, as detailed below.
QAA - full and part-time students on QAA-recognised Access to HE Diplomas in England and Wales.
Data is provided by the AVAs that award the Diploma and the Education and Skills Funding Agency for
publicly-funded Diplomas in England. Data relates to the 2021-22 academic year.
UCAS - applicants and accepted applicants to full-time HE courses. It includes applicants toHE courses provided by FE institutions but does not include applicants to part-time HE courses.
Data relates to the 2021-22 entry cycle. The EXACT Data has been provided by the Universities
and Colleges Admissions ServiceHESA - students entering undergraduate programmes who took an Access to HE course. The dataincludes full and part-time students registered on the first year of undergraduate courses but excludes
those enrolled on directly-funded HE courses in FE institutions. Data relates to students who took an
Access to HE course before 2021-22 - a different cohort from that reported elsewhere.
Copyright Jisc 2023. Neither Jisc nor Jisc Services Limited can accept responsibility for any inferences orconclusions derived by third parties from data or other information supplied by Jisc or Jisc Services Limited.
Where the Deliverables include derived fields containing third party data, the additional terms,
attributions and caveats set out here (www.hesa.ac.uk/support/third-party-data) shall apply.

www.accesstohe.co.uk