The information on this page was current at the time it was published. Regulations, trends, statistics, and other information are constantly changing. While we strive to update our Knowledge Base, we strongly suggest you use these pages as a general guide and be sure to verify any regulations, statistics, guidelines, or other information that are important to your efforts.

January 31st, 2020 Update: On March 29, 2017, UK Prime Minister Theresa May triggered Article 50, which formally started the process whereby the UK would leave the European Union. The original plan was for the UK to leave the EU on March 29th, 2019 but on October 28th, 2019, the EU agreed to push the extension deadline to January 31, 2020. 

The council agreed to conclude the withdrawal, and it  took effect at midnight on January 31st, 2020. After this date, the UK is no  longer an EU member state. This will obviously shift how business is done in the UK. We will keep updating this page to reflect these changes. 

Learn more about Brexit here. 

Education in the United Kingdom

The OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) does extensive reporting on education in its member countries, the UK being one of them. The UK’s Education at a Glance: OECD Indicators 2016 report provides statistics and information on a number of different topics around education.

Education at a Glance 2016 highlighted UK stats include:

• In 2015, 43% of those 25-64 in the UK had a tertiary-level education (post-secondary or post-high school, for instance, college, university, nursing school, community college degree)

  • 11% had a master's level education

  • 22% had a bachelor's level education

• More first-time tertiary-level graduates are women than men (56% vs. OECD average of 57%)

• International students represent a large share of tertiary enrollment, particularly at higher levels (18% of all tertiary students in 2014 and 42% in doctoral or equivalent programs)

• Early childhood educations is commonplace from the age of 3

• Children born to foreign parents are more likely to attain the tertiary level of education than those with native-born parents

• The gender gap in the labor market is comparatively small in the UK vs. the OECD average and women in the UK have better labor market perspectives

• There is a gender pay gap in the UK, though it is smaller than in most OECD countries at the tertiary level. Even so, women still earn just 76% of what men earn at that level. Women's pay rises to 83% of what mean earn at the upper secondary qualification

• In 2014, one in five bachelor-level students graduated in the sciences (OECD average was 9%)

For those interested in learning more about the UK’s educational system,  UK’s Education at a Glance: OECD Indicators 2016 report provides a great deal of information. You can also filter down on OECD countries, age ranges, population with tertiary education, adult education levels, and enrollment rates on the OECD site on their OECD Education Attainment page. 

OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development)

UK’s Education at a Glance: OECD Indicators 2016 report

OECD Education Attainment page