The short answer
A degree apprenticeship is a paid job where you also study for a bachelor's or master's degree, usually over four to five years. The employers we've researched cover the course fees, so you finish without a student loan. In England they're Level 6 or 7, but not every Level 6 or 7 apprenticeship includes a degree.
Key figures
- Degree-level apprenticeship starts (Levels 6–7) in England in 2024/25, up 20.4%
- 60,350
- Source: Department for Education (opens in a new tab)
- Share of all 2024/25 apprenticeship starts in England at degree level
- 17.1%
- Source: Department for Education (opens in a new tab)
- Achievement rate for Level 6 apprenticeships in England in 2023/24, the highest of any level
- 69.1%
- Source: Department for Education (opens in a new tab)
A degree apprenticeship means you get a bachelor’s or master’s degree while working in a real job. You spend most of your time at work, and part of it studying with a university or training provider. You get paid throughout, and the employers we’ve researched say they cover the course fees.
The basics
In England, degree apprenticeships are Level 6 or Level 7, which GOV.UK compares to a bachelor’s or master’s degree.
One thing to watch out for: not every Level 6 or 7 apprenticeship includes a degree. Some lead to a different qualification at the same level. The BBC, for example, says not all of its Level 6 apprenticeships include a degree. Always check what you’d actually graduate with.
How many people do them?
They’re growing fast. According to the Department for Education, 60,350 people started a Level 6 or 7 apprenticeship in England in 2024/25 (26,780 at Level 6 and 33,560 at Level 7). That’s up 20.4% on the year before, and 17.1% of all apprenticeships started.
Worth knowing: lots of Level 7 starts are by people who already work for their employer, so the number of places open to school leavers is smaller than that headline figure.
The good news is that people tend to finish them. In 2023/24, Level 6 had the highest completion (achievement) rate of any level, at 69.1%.
In Wales, degree apprenticeships are a much smaller programme. Medr reports 485 degree apprenticeship starts in 2024/25.
How long do they take?
Usually several years. Some examples from employers we’ve researched:
- KPMG UK says its Technology Apprenticeship takes four years and leads to a BSc (Hons) in Digital and Technology Solutions.
- BAE Systems says its degree apprenticeships take four to five years.
- Balfour Beatty says its degree and graduate apprenticeships take around four to five years and lead to a degree plus professional qualifications.
Who pays?
The employers we’ve researched say course fees are covered: BAE Systems says fees for academic and vocational qualifications are funded, and Balfour Beatty says it pays college fees. Still, check how fees work for any programme you’re looking at, because it depends on the employer and the funding rules in each nation.
Scotland: graduate apprenticeships
Scotland has graduate apprenticeships instead of degree apprenticeships. Apprenticeships.scot says they run from SCQF Level 9 (ordinary degree) to SCQF Level 11 (master’s degree), take two to five years, and give you the same qualification as a normal university course. You need to have reached the legal school-leaving age and left school before you start, but you can apply while you’re still at school.
Wales: degree apprenticeships
The Welsh Government lists degree apprenticeships at Level 6, in ICT and digital, engineering and advanced manufacturing jobs. To start one, you need to:
- be 16 or over (there’s no upper age limit)
- work in Wales for at least 51% of your time
- have, or be hired into, a job that fits the apprenticeship
- meet the university’s entry requirements, which usually means Level 3 qualifications and/or relevant experience
What to check before you apply
- The qualification. Is it a full bachelor’s degree, and in what subject?
- The university or provider. Where and how will you study: on campus, online or in blocks?
- How long it takes, and what happens to your job when you finish.
- Entry requirements. These are set for each programme and can include specific A level subjects.
- Location. Programmes can be different at different offices or sites. KPMG, for example, offers different routes in different offices.
Related video
The pros and cons of Degree Apprenticeships
Sources and review
Last reviewed . Details can change after this date, so check the official source before you rely on them.
- Become an apprentice: apprenticeship levels (opens in a new tab)
- Graduate Apprenticeships (opens in a new tab)
- Become an apprentice (opens in a new tab)
- Technology & Engineering Apprenticeships (opens in a new tab)
- Apprentices (opens in a new tab)
- Apprenticeships in the United Kingdom (opens in a new tab)
- BBC apprenticeships explained (opens in a new tab)
- Apprenticeships, academic year 2024/25 (opens in a new tab) Official statistics for England, published 27 November 2025.
- Apprenticeships learning programmes started: August to October 2025 (Sta/Medr/02/2026) (opens in a new tab) Includes full-year 2024/25 figures for Wales.