Competition for Degree Apprenticeships Quads in Three Years – BBC News
BBC Homepage
Skip to content
Accessibility Help
Your account
Home
News
Sport
Earth
Reel
Worklife
Travel
Culture
Future
Music
TV
Weather
Sounds
More menu
More menu
Search BBC
Home
News
Sport
Earth
Reel
Worklife
Travel
Culture
Future
Music
TV
Weather
Sounds
Close menu
BBC News
Menu
Home
Climate
World
UK
Business
Tech
Science
Entertainment & Arts
Health
In Pictures
More
BBC Verify
Newsbeat
Competition for degree apprenticeships quadruples as university costs rise
Image source: Getty Images
By Hazel Shearing, Education Correspondent
Published 19 August 2026, 06:00 BST
Updated 17 minutes ago
The competition for degree apprenticeships in England has quadrupled over the past three years, according to a BBC investigation.
The popularity of these programs – which offer both a paid-for university degree and a salary – has surged as the cost of higher education comes under increased scrutiny.
Data obtained by the BBC revealed that applications through the government’s central platform nearly tripled from 8,100 to 21,800 over three years, while available positions decreased by almost half, from 7,300 to 3,700.
Applicants cited applying to university as a "backup" option due to the fierce competition, with employers cutting back on hiring due to rising employment costs and economic uncertainty.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) stated its support for employers who take on young apprentices.
Last month, Prime Minister Andy Burnham expressed a desire to ensure teenagers had technical career paths that could rival traditional university degrees. This came as concerns grew about immediate and long-term university costs, with students increasingly choosing to stay at home and calls for student loan repayment reforms.
Undergraduate tuition fees in England are set to rise annually with inflation. Degree apprenticeships, while appearing attractive, are harder to secure than they might seem, according to Freedom of Information data.
There were 11.3 applications for every Level 6 apprenticeship position this academic year, compared to just 2.8 in 2023-24. Similar trends were observed across Levels 4, 5, and 6 qualifications, where there were 10.6 applicants per position, up from 3.6.
These levels correspond to the first, second, and third years of an undergraduate degree.
The data only includes apprenticeships advertised on the government’s Find An Apprenticeship website in England, which was subject to Freedom of Information requests. Employers also advertise positions through other channels.
Oliver Sidwell, director of Higherin (one such platform), noted a 80% surge in searches for degree apprenticeships this year. While employers are advertising more apprenticeships through his service, demand is outpacing supply.
Kieran McRae, 22, applied for a degree apprenticeship but was disappointed to miss out. Instead, he studied computer science at the University of Birmingham alongside apprentices who secured places on the same program.
"We all went to the same lectures and had the same labs, tutorials," he shared. "There was always a bit of jealousy… But I knew I wasn’t getting that free degree or salary."
Kieran is now content with his chosen path, especially as his university course offered industry experience opportunities, something increasingly valued in an era of competitive apprenticeships. Yet, he expressed regret: "If I was 18 and offered the degree apprenticeship, 100% I would have taken it."
