Official statistic: Key performance measure 2

Gap in participation at higher-tariff providers between the most and least represented groups

19.8 percentage points

In 2017-18, there was a gap of 19.8 percentage points between the most and least represented groups

Learn about the target for this measure

KPM 2 updated 2019

What does this show?

The more the gap in participation narrows between the most and least represented groups, the more we can say that background does not limit access to higher education.

We see reducing this gap as a strategic priority.

In 2017-18, the gap between rates of participation at high-tariff providers for the most and least represented groups was 19.8 percentage points. At this point, the most represented students were then 4.81 times more likely to participate at high-tariff providers than the least represented. This ratio is more than twice that for all providers.

The measure currently considers underrepresented groups based on the participation of local areas (POLAR) classification, which groups areas across the UK based on the proportion of the 18-30 year-old population that participates in higher education. Participation refers to an individual having started a higher education course at least once. In the future we will develop more ways of measuring disadvantage.

Get the data

About the measure

The measure uses the rate of participation among 18-30 year olds by POLAR quintile.

  • Frequency: Annual
  • Population: 18-30 year old  home students domiciled in England who have participated in HE at higher tariff providers in England. Higher tariff providers are the top third of English higher education providers (excluding specialist providers, previously funded by HEFCE) when ranked by average tariff score of UK domiciled undergraduate entrants, defined using HESA data from academic years 2012-13 to 2014-15.
  • Data Sources: Individual student data from HESA, the Individual Learner Record, and the POLAR classification of postcodes and population data
  • Available: January, 6 months after the end of the academic year in which a student enters higher education.

Additional information about the methodology used is available in our KPM 1 and 2 documentation and annex.

KPM 1 and 2 documentation

Additional information about the methodology used.


Corrections were made to an error that prevented the population from being restricted to 18-30 year olds as required by the definition of the KPM. It was originally published based on the proportion of the working age population (16-65 year olds) that participates in higher education.

  • Calculation of participation rates are based on the revised versions of the population data as updated by the Office for National Statistics, which included minor amendments such as increases or decreases in individuals of certain ages in some geographical areas. This may have led to small changes in the measure as the number of people in each POLAR4 quintile may be slightly different.
  • Calculation of new entrants and previous entrants take into account higher education level apprenticeships which was previously unaccounted for in the previous methodology. As a result, participation rates calculated by the updated methodology have increased due to an increase in the number of participants in higher education, particularly after 2015, where data on apprentices from the Higher Education Statistics Agency became available.
  • Adjustments were made to the population data to account for all students whose permanent and temporary addresses reflected a shift in POLAR categories. Adjustments allowed for higher accuracy in measuring the number of people in each POLAR quintile. The previous methodology adjusted the number of participants who moved between quintiles based on the number of new entrants who moved between quintiles in post-2009 data, where both permanent and temporary addresses were available. The current methodology based the adjustments on the number of all students who moved between quintiles instead of just the new entrants. These changes to the adjustment methods have impacted the number of participants grouped by each POLAR4 quintile, which will affect participation rates.


If you have any queries about the statistics published as KPMs, please contact Norra Tengcharoensuk at [email protected].


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