Further Education Sector Activity Bulletin published - November 2025
Date published:
The Department for the Economy has today published an Official Statistics bulletin - Further Education Sector Activity in Northern Ireland: 2020/21 to 2024/25.
This statistical bulletin presents a range of analysis regarding enrolments and students (both regulated and non-regulated) in the Northern Ireland Further Education (FE) Sector, covering academic years 2020/21 to 2024/25. This analysis covers the characteristics of those enrolling in FE colleges across a range of variables, including: sex; age; mode of attendance; level of study; subject area; deprivation; funding stream; higher education; and performance (retention, achievement and success rates).
Key points include:
Students
- The number of FE sector students rose by a net 19% between 2020/21 (55,970) and 2024/25 (66,690), including a 5% increase in 2024/25.
- The number of students achieving regulated qualifications increased by a net 9%, from 33,925 in 2020/21 to 37,070 in 2024/25.
All enrolments
- The number of FE college enrolments rose by a net 20% between the pandemic-impacted 2020/21 (97,530) and 2024/25 (116,860), including a 5% increase in the most recent academic year.
- Over two-fifths (42%) of 2024/25 enrolments were mainstream funded by the Department for the Economy.
Regulated enrolments
- Of the 92,160 regulated enrolments in 2024/25, 82% were at Level 2 or above, down from 83% in 2020/21 (equivalent to GCSE A*-C) or above.
- The age structure of the student population on regulated enrolments is becoming more polarised, with the combined aged 19 and under and 25 and over share of such enrolments increasing from 85% in 2020/21 to 87% in 2024/25.
- Higher Education enrolments decreased by a net 1%, from 10,035 in 2020/21 to 9,925 in 2024/25.
- FE Sector regulated enrolments are fairly evenly spread across the four most deprived relative multiple deprivation quintiles, although considerable variation occurs at college level.
Qualifications
- 12% more qualifications were awarded in 2024/25 (58,055) than in 2020/21 (52,000).
The bulletin can be accessed at www.economy-ni.gov.uk/publications/further-education-sector-activity-northern-ireland-202021-202425
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