T levels are the new flagship level 3 technical qualification in England, designed in collaboration with employers to meet the needs of industry. But they have experienced their fair share of challenges in the early stages of their rollout, including being plagued by high rates of dropout among T level starters.
Equivalent to three A Levels, T Levels combine classroom learning with a substantial industry placement, giving students the opportunity to gain real-world experience in their chosen field.
One reason for the dropouts is that the volume and complexity of content across some pathways was initially set far too high.
As the rollout continues, DfE is revising the qualifications to improve delivery and the student experience. This includes engaging in a full review of T level content over the last year in response to these high dropout rates.
But have recent changes worked?
Dropout remain higher than alternatives
On a positive note, overall T level retention has continued to rise, going from 66 per cent in 2023 to 74 per cent in 2025. This suggests that the changes made as the T level rollout progresses have had a positive impact on retention.
However, the T level dropout rate (26 per cent) remains significantly higher than the dropout rate from studying 3 A levels (10 per cent) and from similar sized VTQs (22 per cent). Given T levels are somewhat of a mix between existing VTQs and A levels, one would expect T level retention to be somewhere around the 80 to 85 per cent mark – still a way off the current state of play. While recent improvements are very welcome, it is important that the department and industry keep working on boosting T level retention.
Retention challenges remain for first-year T levels
Dropout rates vary considerably by pathway. The digital route remains the best performing pathway, delivering the lowest dropout rates in every year of T level delivery. Changes to the health and science content and assessments continue to pay dividends. Having initially suffered from an abysmal dropout rate in 2023 (only 53 per cent of students were retained) the health and science pathway has seen its retention rate rise to 72 per cent.
Of particular concern is the low retention rate for students on the brand-new agriculture and animal care pathway (61 per cent). This highlights that new T level routes continue to face challenges with retention in their first year of delivery. It is imperative that more work is undertaken to support students in these first cohorts of new T levels and consider why dropout has been so high in some subjects.
Disadvantaged, female and white learners drop out more frequently
Our recent research has investigated the drivers of T level dropout to better understand who drops out and why. Results show that disadvantaged and female learners were significantly more likely to drop out than their peers even after controlling for prior attainment. White students were also more likely to drop out and so too were students with lower GCSE grades.
Dropped out students at risk of going backwards or missing from education and training
One final concern is what happens to students who drop out of their T level. Are they transferring to another course? Moving to an apprenticeship? Or are they leaving education all together?
Concerningly, our research shows that more than a third of 16-year-olds who drop out of their T level in the first year go completely missing from the education and training system. Moreover, many students drop down onto a lower-level course (level 2 or below). While some students who drop out may go into skilled employment in their T level sector, these students are still missing out on a significant level 3 qualification that could open doors in their future.
Improvements in retention deserve to be celebrated. But addressing the T level drop rate out must remain a strong focus for the government. Students deserve more support in completing their T level and finding suitable destinations on other high-quality pathways if they do decide to withdraw. Given disadvantaged students tend to drop out more frequently, this yet again reiterates the urgent call for more targeted support for disadvantaged learners in post-16.
Interesting points
The achievement rate is abysmal and this is still on a small number of students.
What’s interesting is that work placements are starting to become an issue as well. To think students on partial completion due will complete is likely to be wishful thinking once passed the planned end date. You can well see the t level developing into the same issues as apprentices with timely achievement being the issue.
Many students misunderstand how much of the first year is likely to be theory which switches them off.
Of course a partial is a failure of the overall qualification and it is misleading to present otherwise, particularly to students who will find it of little value.