Dashboard user guide
How to use the dashboard
Watch our video for an overview of the main features of the data dashboard, or continue reading below for step-by-step instructions.
Use the yellow button labelled 'See more data' on the top left to move from the overview to the detailed view. From the detailed view use the yellow ‘Return to overview’ button to move back to the overview.
Each view has buttons on the top right which allow you to explore data by different stages of the student lifecycle.
- Access: the profile of students entering higher education.
- Continuation: the percentage of first year students who continue their studies after 12 months (full-time and apprenticeship students) or 24 months (part-time students).
- Completion: the percentage of first year students that are in active study or have qualified after four years (full-time and apprenticeship students) or six years (part-time students).
- Degree outcomes (attainment): the number of students who were awarded first or upper second-class degrees.
- Progression: the number of students progressing to professional or managerial employment, further study or other positive outcomes, 15 months after gaining their qualification. This data represents the results of the Graduate Outcomes (GO) survey from 2017-18 onwards.
Use the ‘Select a provider’ dropdown box on the left to choose (or search for) a provider’s data to display, or view data for all English higher education providers.
On the overview use the toggles to swap between indicators and gaps or time series charts and the 2 and 4 year aggregate chart views.
Use the ‘Chart type’ buttons in the detailed view to change the chart type to display indicators, proportions, gaps, ratios or interim study (depending on the lifecycle stage that you have selected).
To select a specific level or mode of study (for example, full-time or part-time, first degree or other undergraduate) use the table in the left-hand banner on the dashboard. Clicking a yellow cell in the table changes the selection. The percentages describe how the provider’s students are distributed across modes and levels of study within the current lifecycle stage.
The detailed view contains further split indicators that are not shown on the overview.
On the detailed view use the ‘Select a split indicator type/split indicator/comparison’ dropdown boxes at the bottom of the left hand banner to explore more detailed data.
To view a specific indicator when viewing indicator charts, use the ‘Select a single split indicator’ button to show the ‘Select a split indicator’ dropdown box.
Note that some split indicators are available within the single split indicator view that are not displayed when multiple indicators are shown together.
Use the dropdown menus above each chart to view the distribution of statistical uncertainty associated with a split. The statistical uncertainty can be displayed for one split at a time.
Interpreting the charts
Each chart shows how the data has changed over a six-year period.
The distribution of statistical uncertainty is shown as vertical shaded bars matching the colour of the line. Where multiple lines are shown on a chart users can use the dropdown boxes to select a split indicator or gap for which to show the distribution of statistical uncertainty. Shaded bars are used to represent the uncertainty associated with observed access and participation indicators and the observed gap between two split indicators. Use your mouse to hover over points or intervals on the charts to display additional information about the values. For more information please refer to the 'Description of student outcome and experience measures used in OfS regulation: Definition of measures and methods used to construct and present them'.
For the indicator charts, hovering your mouse over the points will show:
- the indicator / split indicator value
- the numerator
- the denominator
- the values associated with specific confidence limits across the distribution of statistical uncertainty (where these are shown)
- progression charts will also contain information about the response rate.
For the gaps charts you will see:
- the percentage point gap
- the values associated with specific confidence limits across the distribution of statistical uncertainty (where these are shown).
For the ratios which are available in the detailed view, hovering your mouse over the points will show the ratio.
Interim study charts are available in the progression lifecycle stage in the detailed view. Hovering your mouse over the points will show the interim or significant interim study rate.
Viewing table data
The detailed view shows a table of data beneath the chart. This table shows:
- the values that are displayed on the chart
- any suppressed data (which will display as [N/A], [none], [low], [DPL], [DPH], [DP] or [RR] as detailed below).
In order to prevent the disclosure of sensitive data, we apply rounding and suppression rules. Where data has been suppressed it will be for one of the following reasons:
- N/A: The data item is not applicable to this population.
- none: There are no students in the denominator (2 or fewer).
- low: There are more than 2 but fewer than 23 students in the denominator.
- DPL: The numerator or headcount is less than or equal to 2, meaning that the indicator will take a value close to 0 per cent.
- DPH: The numerator is greater than 2 but is within 2 of the denominator, meaning the indicator will take a value close to 100 per cent.
- DP: The information has been suppressed for data protection reasons.
- RR: The provider participated in the Graduate outcomes (GO) survey but has not met the response rate threshold (of 30 per cent, for progression indicators only).
When viewing gaps charts, text beneath the table shows the change in the gap from the fifth year to the sixth year in the time-series.
How to download the data or charts
We publish the data which underpins the dashboards for individual providers and for the sector on our website.
Last updated 04 October 2024 + show all updates
04 October 2024 - Added video guide.
28 March 2023 - Updated with annual release of data
24 March 2022 - Updated with annual release of data
11 March 2021 - Updated with annual release of data
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