What Is a Degree Apprenticeship? A Beginner's Guide

The short answer

A degree apprenticeship is a paid job that includes a university degree. Your employer hires you, pays you a salary, and sends you to university to study part-time. The employer pays the tuition fees. You do not take out a student loan. At the end, you hold a full degree and several years of professional experience.

The degree is real. The university is real. In most cases your degree certificate is the same one awarded to full-time students. The difference is how you get there: you study alongside work rather than instead of work.

Degree apprenticeships sit at two levels. Level 6 leads to a bachelor's degree (BSc, BA, BEng). Level 7 usually leads to a master's degree (MSc, MA), though some Level 7 routes, like the solicitor apprenticeship, lead to a professional qualification instead. All are approved by Skills England and follow specific apprenticeship standards.

For a full breakdown of every level, employer, and how to balance the workload, see our Degree Apprenticeships Deep Dive. For how they compare with Levels 2 to 5, see apprenticeship levels explained.

How it works in practice

You are employed full-time. Your contract states your role, your salary, and your training plan. A set number of your paid working hours, called off-the-job training, is protected for study. That study time is your university commitment, and your employer cannot ask you to skip it.

The most common pattern is day release: you work four days and attend university one day per week during term time. Some employers use block release, where you alternate several weeks at work with one week at university. A smaller number use blended learning, combining campus days with online study.

Your university modules are tied to your job. If you are a degree apprentice in software engineering, your modules cover programming, data structures, and software design. If you are in nursing, your modules cover clinical practice and patient care. The learning connects directly to what you do at work each day.

At the end of the programme, you complete your degree assessments and an end-point assessment (EPA). The EPA is conducted by an independent assessor who confirms you have met the apprenticeship standard. You do not pay for it.

Who pays for what

Your employer pays

All tuition fees are covered. You never touch student finance for the degree. You do not take out a tuition fee loan. You do not accumulate student debt for the qualification.

You earn

You receive a salary for your full working week, including your study days. Starting salaries vary by employer and sector. You can check current figures on employer careers pages. As a rough guide, degree apprentices at large employers often start on £20,000 to £30,000, with some banks, law firms, and tech firms paying more.

You pay for living costs

Rent, food, transport, and personal expenses come out of your salary, just like any other employee. You cannot claim student maintenance loans because you are earning.

What you never pay for

Tuition. Assessment. End-point assessment. Qualification fees. If anyone asks you to contribute to these, that is a red flag. Report it to Skills England.

Which sectors offer them

Degree apprenticeships exist across many industries. Here are some of the most common, with examples of the kind of employers that offer them.

These are examples, and each employer's programmes change from year to year, so check their careers pages for current options. Hundreds of employers across England run degree apprenticeships. You can search for live vacancies on gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship by filtering for Level 6 or Level 7.

Who can apply

For Level 6 (bachelor's equivalent): You typically need A-levels (grades vary by employer, often BBB to AAB) or a Level 4/5 qualification. Some employers accept BTECs or relevant work experience. You cannot be in full-time education at the same time, and because of the entry requirements, most degree apprentices start at 18 or older.

For Level 7 (master's equivalent): You need a bachelor's degree or significant relevant professional experience. Some Level 7 apprenticeships are designed for career changers or people with several years of work history.

You do not need to have studied the subject at A-level in most cases. Employers look for academic ability and genuine interest in the field.

There is no upper age limit. Career changers in their 30s, 40s, and beyond use Level 6 degree apprenticeships to retrain into nursing, teaching, management, and technology.

Pros and cons

The advantages

You earn a salary while you study. Over three to six years, that salary adds up to a significant amount, while a traditional student accumulates debt. You graduate with professional experience on your CV, not just a degree. You build a network of colleagues and mentors from day one. You have a job at the end, with no post-graduation job hunt.

The trade-offs

The degree can take longer. A traditional bachelor's is usually three years full-time. A degree apprenticeship typically takes three to six years because you study part-time. You miss the traditional university social experience: no halls, no freshers' week, no five-day lecture schedule with a cohort of full-time students. Your social life is built around your workplace and your apprenticeship cohort. The workload is demanding, particularly in the first year, because you are managing full-time work alongside academic deadlines.

Neither route is better. They suit different people. For a detailed financial comparison, see our article on degree apprenticeship vs university: costs and outcomes.

How to find one

Start with EarlyBird and our Company Directory to browse live degree apprenticeships scraped directly from UK employers' careers sites alongside the official government feed.

You can also search on the government's Find an apprenticeship service—filter by Level 6 or Level 7, then by keyword and location, and set up email alerts for new vacancies—and check UCAS apprenticeships for degree-level listings alongside university courses.

For specific employers, go directly to their careers pages. The BBC, Goldman Sachs, NHS, Rolls-Royce, and the Civil Service advertise on their own sites. Some do not list on the government service.

Applications open year-round, though many large employers recruit in autumn (September to November) for a start the following summer. There is no single UCAS-style deadline.

The application process is similar to a graduate scheme application: an online form, possibly psychometric tests, a video interview, and an in-person interview or assessment centre. See our guide on applications and assessments for the full process.

FAQ

• Is the degree the same as a traditional one?↓

  Is the degree the same as a traditional one?

  Yes. The university awards a full bachelor's or master's degree, and employers and professional bodies recognise it in the same way as a degree studied full-time. Your apprenticeship completion is recorded separately.

• Do I have to stay with the employer afterwards?↓

  Do I have to stay with the employer afterwards?

  No. You are contracted for the duration of the apprenticeship. Once you complete it and pass your end-point assessment, you are free to move on. Many apprentices stay because of the progression opportunities, but you are not locked in.

• Can I choose which university I attend?↓

  Can I choose which university I attend?

  Usually, no. The employer has a partnership with a specific university. You can ask which institution they use before applying, but you generally cannot choose a different one.

• What if I already have a degree?↓

  What if I already have a degree?

  You can still do a degree apprenticeship, but you cannot repeat training you have already received. If your existing degree is in the same subject, the employer will assess overlap. In practice, people use Level 7 apprenticeships to retrain into a new field.

• Can I do this in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland?↓

  Can I do this in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland?

  The system described here applies to England. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have their own apprenticeship frameworks. Check Skills Development Scotland, Careers Wales, or the Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland.

Ready to get started?

Degree apprenticeships are a fantastic way to earn a salary, gain professional experience, and graduate with zero tuition debt.

The next step is to explore what's out there. Create a free EarlyBird account to get personalised apprenticeship recommendations, track your applications, and discover the best student employers in the UK.

Sign up for EarlyBird or browse our Company Directory to get started!