Vicky Duxbury, Chris Westlake, Emma Jones and Will Joice – Jisc.
This study descriptively compared higher education outcomes among students who entered universities in the United Kingdom (UK) with either an International Baccalaureate (IB) Career-related Programme (CP) qualification or a Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC) qualification. Using data sourced from the UK Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and the IB examination data system (2014–15 to 2018–19), the study examined CP and BTEC students’ continuation to the second year of university study, achievement of a first- or upper second-class honours degree, and activity 15 months after completion of the first degree. Although exploratory in nature due to the relatively small number of CP students present in the HESA data, this study provides promising evidence that, overall, CP students are progressing and performing well at university, with nearly 90% continuing to their second year of study and 70% achieving a first- or upper second-class honours degree. Post-university, about equal percentages of CP and BTEC students were engaged in work, and a somewhat higher percentage of CP students were engaged in further study compared to BTEC students.
