Mature students
This refers to a student aged 21 or over (UCAS, OfS and HESA) or a student aged 25 or over (Student Finance England) at the point of entry to a higher education course.
Some studies use one term (e.g. mature student), while others break age down into three or six categories.
Key statistics
Continuation – Progression:
The Education and Skills Funding Agency’s (ESFA’s) individualised learner record (ILR), The Student Return, collected by the Designated Data Body (DDB) and The Student Alternative (SA) record, collected by the Designated Data Body (DDB).
On a provider level:
UCAS provide information on age of student. This is self-reported by the student. It can be matched to Individual Learner Records by a provider for internal database purposes.
The access and participation data dashboard has information on the access, continuation, completion, attainment and progression rates of students by age.
The student outcomes: Data dashboard has information on the continuation, completion and progression rates of students’ age.
The sector distribution of student outcomes and experience measures data dashboard: Data dashboard has information on the continuation, completion and progression rates of students by age.
The size and shape of provision data dashboard has information on the profile of entrants by age (6-way).
The TEF data dashboard has information on the continuation, completion and progression rates of students by age (3-way).
On a national level:
The student characteristics data: Outcomes data dashboard has information on the profile, continuation, completion, attainment and progression rates of students by age (2-way and 6-way).
The National Student Survey data: student characteristics data has information on the experience of students by age (3-way).
Note: Definitions and the quality of each study vary.
Centre for Transforming Access and Student Outcomes (TASO), ‘Analysis report: Supporting access and student success for mature learners’, April 2021.
Farmer, Julie (2017) ‘Mature access: The contribution of the Access to Higher Education diploma’, Perspectives: Policy and Practice in Higher Education, 2017, pp63-72.
HEPI (2023) ‘Student Academic Experience Survey 2023’. HEPI. (Accessed 12/12/2023)
Learning and Work Institute, ‘Rates of adult participation in learning’.
Lyonette, C., Atfield, G., Behl, H., Gambin, L. (2015) ‘Tracking student mothers’ higher education participation and early career outcomes over time: initial choices and aspirations, HE experiences and career destinations’. Final report. Institute for Employment Research, University of Warwick, Coventry.
Office for Students (2021) Insight 9 May 2021 ‘Improving opportunity and choice for mature students’. (Accessed 10/12/23)
TASO (2023) ‘Rapid review to support development of the Equality of Opportunity Risk Register’. (Accessed 12/01/2024)
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