Less than half of UK bar students secure pupillage within five years of enrolling on their training courses, new figures released by the Bar Standards Board (BSB) have revealed.
Providers show wide variance in outcomes
The Bar Standards Board’s most recent training report shows that only 41% of UK-based students from the 2020-21 intake had begun pupillage by late 2025, showing the intense rivalry for trainee barrister roles.
The data shows stark contrasts between different training institutions, with the Inns of Court College of Advocacy achieving a 67% pupillage placement rate, while Manchester Metropolitan University’s rate stood at just 11%.
BPP Manchester’s UK student pupillage rate was 55%, higher than City St George’s (44%) and tied with BPP London and The University of Law’s London branch, both at 34%.
These numbers reflect students who began training in 2020-21, though direct comparisons between schools should account for varying student backgrounds and group sizes.
Bar course performance remains a hurdle
The report also draws attention to the difficulties of finishing the bar course itself. Out of 2,111 students who started in 2020-21, 78% completed all ten required assessments within five years, though success rates differed widely across institutions.
Read Also: Freshfields considers AI spin-off for standalone tech venture
The University of Law’s Nottingham campus saw perfect results, with all eight enrolled students passing, whereas BPP Bristol had the lowest completion rate at 63%, despite having 40 enrollees.
More recent figures show that undergraduate degree classification continues to have a significant bearing on bar course performance. Among students who enrolled between July and October 2024, 92% of those with a first-class degree had passed all ten assessments by December 2025, compared with 78% of those with a 2:1 and just 56% of those with a 2:2.
Additionally, just over half (51%) of the latest cohort managed to pass all ten assessments on their first try.
Training costs and enrollment numbers
These findings appear as bar training costs climb further, with average fees rising to £17,600 in 2025-26, up from £16,700 the prior year when adjusted for inflation, though still below the £21,100 peak recorded in 2019-20 before the current training structure was introduced.
A total of 2,449 students enrolled on bar training courses in 2025-26, a slight decrease from 2,488 the previous year.
Commenting on the findings, BSB chair professor Christopher Bones said: “The bar training course is a significant financial and personal commitment. Finding pupillage after passing the course remains very competitive. Students should look at their prospects of passing and obtaining pupillage before making their decisions about pursuing a career at the bar.”
