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UK Performance Indicators in Higher Education 2014/15: Non-continuation rates

Indicators for non-continuation are published today on our website.

The full tables show the national non-continuation rates and indicators for every publicly funded HE provider in the UK alongside their benchmark.

Further tables show the statistics for entrants to part-time and other undergraduate courses.

The latest statistics show that:

  • 6.0% of UK domiciled, young, full-time, first degree entrants in 2013/14 did not continue in higher education in 2014/15.
  • 10.2% of UK domiciled, full-time, first degree starters in 2013/14 were projected to leave higher education without gaining a qualification.

The graphs below from the UK Performance Indicators summary page show the trends for UK domiciled, full-time, first degree entrants for the years that non-continuation rates have been calculated.

Non-continuation into second year

Percentage of UK domiciled young full-time first degree entrants not continuing in HE after their first year by academic year

Projected outcomes

Projected learning outcomes of UK domiciled full-time first degree starters by academic year

More non-continuation summary tables and charts can be found here. The full HE provider level tables are available here.

Employment performance indicators for 2014/15 leavers will be published on Thursday 7 July 2016.

Notes for Editors

  1. Press enquiries should be directed to:
  2. Technical enquiries should be directed to:
  3. The Guide to UKPIs explains what the UK Performance Indicators are, and why they are produced.
  4. The UKPI tables include a benchmark for each HE provider. This is a sector average adjusted for the type of HE provider in question. The benchmarks are not government targets or quotas. See the Guide to UKPIs for more information, or the Benchmarks page for full technical details.
  5. Definitions of the terms used in this press release can be found in PIs Definitions
  6. Information on changes affecting the time series of performance indicator statistics can be found in PIs Data Intelligence
  7. The UK Performance Indicators are defined and specified by the UK Performance Indicators Steering Group (UKPISG). 
  8. The first tranche of UK Performance Indicators covering widening participation for 2014/15 entrants was published on 4 February 2016 here.
  9. The third tranche of UK Performance Indicators covering Employment of leavers will be published on Thursday 7 July 2016.

About the UK Performance Indicators

UK Performance Indicators are a range of statistical indicators intended to offer an objective measure of how a HE provider (HEP) is performing. They are not 'league tables' and do not attempt to compare all HEPs against a ‘gold standard’ or against each other. There are indicators for all publicly funded HEPs in the UK. For more details and FAQ see the Guide to UKPIs

About HESA

The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) is the recognised source of data on higher education in the UK. Our experts collect, analyse, and disseminate accurate and comprehensive statistical information on all aspects of UK higher education in order to support the strategic aims of our users and enhance the effectiveness of the sector as a whole. We are a charity and a company limited by guarantee. We operate as an independent organisation, working in close partnership with higher education providers, regulators, funders, government departments, policy makers, and other stakeholders.

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