Postgraduate Sector Data
Information about who is studying for a postgraduate award in the UK
114,405
Enrolments for postgraduate research degrees in 2020/21
484,060
Enrolments for taught Masters degrees in 2020/21
27%
% of the student population registered for a postgraduate degree in 2020/21
Types of Postgraduate Award
The UK Council for Graduate Education is primarily concerned with postgraduate awards which reach the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications thresholds for Level 7 (Masters or M Level) and Level 8 (Doctoral or D Level). However there are a number of other categories of postgraduate award.
The Higher Education Statics Agency defines postgraduate awards in the following way:
- Postgraduate courses are those leading to higher degrees, diplomas and certificates (including Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE at level M) (unless shown separately) and professional qualifications) which usually require a first degree as an entry qualification (i.e. already qualified at level H).
- Postgraduate (research) includes doctorate (incorporating New Route PhD), masters degrees and postgraduate diplomas or certificates (not Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) at level M) studied primarily through research.
- Postgraduate (taught) includes doctorate, and masters degrees, postgraduate bachelors degrees at level M and postgraduate diplomas or certificates not studied primarily through research, including Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) at level M (unless shown separately), Masters in Teaching and Learning, level M Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector, and professional qualifications.
- Higher degree (research) includes doctorate (incorporating the ‘New Route PhD’) and masters degrees studied primarily through research. Many students who study for a doctoral qualification will initially be enrolled on a masters course and will transfer to a doctorate course after a year or two. For this reason, numbers of doctoral students may be under-counted and numbers of masters students may be over-counted where this factor is not taken into account.
- Higher degree (taught) includes doctorate and masters degrees not studied primarily through research, and postgraduate bachelors degrees at level M. Masters in Teaching and Learning are included in this category.
- Other postgraduate includes postgraduate diplomas, certificates and professional qualifications, Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE at level M), level 7 Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector, HE provider postgraduate credits and non-formal postgraduate qualifications
- Postgraduate Certificate in Education are those PGCE qualifications which are studied or awarded at level M. The Postgraduate Diploma in Education is a similar initial teacher training qualification to the PGCE, but with a greater proportion of study at level M.
Total Postgraduate Enrolments 2016 — 2021
| 2016/17 | 2017/18 | 2018/19 | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doctorate research | 100,085 | 100,520 | 101,995 | 101,350 | 104,965 |
| Other postgraduate research | 12,120 | 11,000 | 10,615 | 9,000 | 9,235 |
| Institutional credit at postgraduate research | 315 | 330 | 335 | 325 | 205 |
| Masters taught | 320,720 | 345,620 | 366,935 | 411,500 | 484,060 |
| Postgraduate Certificate in Education | 24,030 | 24,960 | 26,340 | 25,890 | 31,175 |
| Other postgraduate taught | 75,150 | 76,040 | 73,415 | 71,215 | 81,585 |
| Institutional credit at postgraduate taught | 25,985 | 23,540 | 23,070 | 23,630 | 32,120 |