How many apprenticeships are there in England?
There were 308,770 apprenticeship starts in England in the first nine months of the 2025/26 academic year (August 2025 to April 2026), 8.7% more than a year earlier, according to the Department for Education's apprenticeships statistics published on 16 July 2026. Some 735,500 people were taking part in an apprenticeship and 146,210 completed one in that period.
Higher apprenticeships, at level 4 and above, accounted for 126,660 starts. Business, administration and law had the most starts of any subject area. Full-year figures come out after the academic year ends.
Compare the same months across years, because part-year figures are not comparable with full-year totals. Apprenticeship pay and conditions are set out on GOV.UK.
When is the next figure out?
HESA publishes its main student statistics early in the calendar year after the academic year ends, with finance data later. The Student Loans Company publishes its England release in June and separate releases for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. DfE releases on Explore Education Statistics go live at 9:30am and are pre-announced on the GOV.UK statistics calendar; student loan forecasts appear in the summer and apprenticeship figures several times a year. Home Office study visa figures are quarterly.
Every official release due in the next two weeks is on the release calendar.
Where the figures come from
- Higher education and student finance statistics (HESA, Student Loans Company, Office for Students and DfE)Official figures on UK student numbers, international students, student loan debt, graduate earnings, university finances and apprenticeships.
- Home Office statistics (immigration, borders and policing)Find Home Office figures on small boat arrivals, asylum, hotels, visas, returns, detention, police numbers and stop and search, and how to read them.
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This answer says where the official figures are published and how they are defined. It gives no verdict on any claim. To report an error, send a correction request. More questions about universities and student finance: all Universities and student finance questions.