14 February 2026
Are youth degree apprenticeships a good alternative to university?
A new study by the Education Policy Institute looks at the role of youth degree apprenticeships and whether they offer an alternative to university for young people.
Degree apprenticeships were introduced in 2015 offering a combination of paid work and university-level study, and leading to a full degree qualification. They were designed to offer an alternative route to a degree and widen participation.
The most popular areas for study are health (27.5%), construction (22.3%) and digital technology (16.9%). Regional take-yup of degree apprenticeships varies, with London (19.1%) and the North West (15.1) topping the table, while the North East (3.0%) seeing lowest take-up.
In terms of widening participation, degree apprentices are in fact less likely to be from disadvantaged backgrounds than undergraduates at Russell Group universities, with only 10.7% of degree apprentices coming from such backgrounds, though GCSE attainment was lower than for Russell Group universities – though it was higher than for all undergraduates.
The study found achievement rates for degree apprenticeships are higher than for lower-level apprenticeships and were similar regardless of student background. Earnings for degree apprentices who complete their course were found to be nearly double the starting salary for recent graduates.
Read more about Youth Degree Apprenticeships.
Degree apprenticeships were introduced in 2015 offering a combination of paid work and university-level study, and leading to a full degree qualification. They were designed to offer an alternative route to a degree and widen participation.
The most popular areas for study are health (27.5%), construction (22.3%) and digital technology (16.9%). Regional take-yup of degree apprenticeships varies, with London (19.1%) and the North West (15.1) topping the table, while the North East (3.0%) seeing lowest take-up.
In terms of widening participation, degree apprentices are in fact less likely to be from disadvantaged backgrounds than undergraduates at Russell Group universities, with only 10.7% of degree apprentices coming from such backgrounds, though GCSE attainment was lower than for Russell Group universities – though it was higher than for all undergraduates.
The study found achievement rates for degree apprenticeships are higher than for lower-level apprenticeships and were similar regardless of student background. Earnings for degree apprentices who complete their course were found to be nearly double the starting salary for recent graduates.
Read more about Youth Degree Apprenticeships.
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