Academic year: what it means
The year used in education statistics: usually September to August for schools and August to July for universities.
The academic year is the year used for most education statistics. For schools in England, Department for Education statistics are labelled by academic year, such as 2025/26, covering the year that starts in September. Higher education statistics generally use a year running from 1 August to 31 July.
Why it matters when checking a claim
- Labels can mislead. "2025/26" in school statistics is not the same twelve months as the 2025-26 financial year used for school funding.
- Census points within the year. Many school counts come from the January school census, so a pupil number for 2025/26 is a snapshot taken in January 2026.
- Exam results are published in the summer but labelled with the academic year in which pupils sat them.
- Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland publish their own education statistics with their own reference dates.
See the Explore Education Statistics guide.
Also searched as: school year, academic year uk, academic year dates, 2025/26 academic year
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Related terms
- Financial year: The UK government's accounting year, running from 1 April to 31 March. Written as 2025-26 or FYE March 2026. The tax year runs 6 April to 5 April.
- Calendar year: January to December. Used for GDP annual totals, registered deaths and many international comparisons, unlike the April to March financial year.
- Key stages: The stages into which compulsory schooling in England is divided, from key stage 1 (ages 5 to 7) to key stage 4 (ages 14 to 16).
More geography and time periods terms: Great Britain and the United Kingdom · England and Wales · Financial year · Calendar year · Tax year · ITL regions (International Territorial Levels) · Lower layer super output area (LSOA).