Education
30 countersEngland has over 9.9 million state school pupils and 615,000 children in private schools. Total student loan debt has reached £234 billion and approximately 50% is projected never to be repaid. There are 23,000 teacher vacancies and 21.2% of pupils are persistently absent from school — a post-pandemic record. There are 1.67 million children with special educational needs (SEND) and over 140,000 waiting for an Education Health and Care Plan assessment. Education statistics are sourced from the Department for Education, UCAS and the Student Loans Company.
Children in State Schools
Children in Private Schools
Total Private School Fees Paid Today (UK)
School Exclusions Today
School Exclusions This Year
Children with SEND Right Now (England)
SEND Cases Waiting for Assessment
Cost of SEND Provision This Year
Teacher Vacancies Right Now
Teachers Leaving Profession This Year
Teachers Joining Profession This Year
Net Teacher Loss This Year
University Students Enrolled
International Students at UK Universities
Total UK Student Loan Debt Right Now
Student Loan Debt Added Today
Student Loan Debt That Will Never Be Repaid
Average Student Debt on Graduation
Graduate Starting Salary vs £45,800 Debt
School Funding Per Pupil Per Day
UK School Spending vs OECD Average
Children Eligible for Free School Meals
Children Living in Poverty Attending School
Ofsted-Rated Inadequate Schools (England)
Children Absent from School Today
Persistent Absenteeism Rate (post-pandemic)
Cost of School Absences to Economy This Year
Apprenticeships Started This Year
Apprenticeships vs University Starts
Functional Illiteracy Rate in UK Adults
Frequently Asked Questions
Based on official UK government data
How much student debt is there in the UK?
Total UK student debt stands at approximately £234 billion and grows by around £20 billion per year, according to Student Loans Company data. The average graduate leaves university with approximately £45,000 in debt. Only around 25% of graduates are expected to fully repay their student loans.
How many teachers are leaving the UK profession each year?
Approximately 40,000 teachers leave the profession in England each year, while only around 32,000 new teachers join, creating a net deficit of approximately 8,000 teachers annually. Secondary school subjects including physics, maths and modern languages face the most acute shortages.
How much does the UK spend on SEND education?
The UK spends approximately £10 billion per year on Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision, according to DfE statistics. This has more than doubled in a decade. The number of children with Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans has increased by over 60% since 2016.
Deep Dive Statistics
Explore detailed statistics for specific topics within this section.