UKResearch
BSB: 41% of UK Bar students secure pupillage within five years; provider rates vary widely
The Bar Standards Board's Bar Training 2026 statistics, published October 15, 2026, show that 41% of UK students obtained pupillage within five years of enrolment, with provider rates ranging from 11% to 67%. Overall course pass rates averaged 78%. The Board said it will launch a full review of the training system and has created a new Education and Training Committee.
Key points
- For the 2024/25 cohort, pass rates were 92% for first-class degrees, 78% for 2:1s and 56% for 2:2s.Bar Standards Board
- Average tuition was £17,600 in 2025/26, still below inflation-adjusted pre-reform fee levels.Bar Standards Board
- Chair Christopher Bones said students should weigh pass and pupillage odds before enrolling.Bar Standards Board
- Provider pass rates ranged from 63% to 100%, with an overall average of 78%.Bar Standards Board
- The Board plans a full fitness-and-purpose review of Bar training in the coming year.Bar Standards Board