What happens after A-Levels and other Level 3 study?
Students completing A-Levels and other Level 3 programmes move into a mixture of higher education, further study, apprenticeships, employment and other activity. DfE measures this in two different ways.
What do the standard 16–18 destinations show?
| Destination | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Education | 43.2% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.4% |
| Employment | 28.2% |
| Overall | 78.9% |
DfE 16-18 destination measures — England — state-funded mainstream schools and colleges — 2022/23 leavers followed through 2023/24. Headline figures include different qualification levels.
Does it differ by sex?
Yes. The overall sustained destination rate was 81.8% for female students and 76.0% for male students – a difference of 5.8 percentage points.
What about mainly Level 3 students?
| Study level | Sustained destination |
|---|---|
| Mainly Level 3 | 85.6% |
| Mainly Level 2 | 62.3% |
| Other or lower | 56.1% |
DfE 16-18 destination measures — England — 2022/23 leavers followed through 2023/24.
This is an association, not proof that qualification level alone causes the difference.
What does the Level 4+ progression measure show?
| Level 4+ outcome | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Sustained Level 4+ destination | 65.0% |
| Degree | 60.1% |
| Level 4+ apprenticeship | 2.4% |
| Other Level 4 or 5 | 2.5% |
DfE Progression to higher education or training — England — 2021/22 Level 3 leavers, followed across a two-year window.
Why two years?
To capture students who take a gap year or otherwise delay Level 4+ progression.
The Explorer profiles each single year of age, including higher education participation and apprenticeship level.