Teenage boom at The Open University as young people choose to earn while they learn

Posted on 24 August 2026 • University news

• Record 3,398 new undergraduate students aged 18 or 19.
• Number of teenage starters has risen by more than a third since 2019/20.
• Almost four in ten new OU undergraduates are now under 25.

Record numbers of teenagers are choosing The Open University as young people seek more flexible and affordable ways to earn a degree while continuing to work.

New figures from the OU show that a record 3,398 students aged 18 or 19 began undergraduate study in 2025/26, up 9% in a year and 35% since 2019/20.

For young people concerned about the cost of moving away, studying online can allow them to remain at home, continue earning and avoid some of the additional living expenses associated with attending a campus university.

The rise in younger students comes as the cost of rent, food, travel and other essentials continues to place pressure on household budgets.

Teenagers now account for almost one in ten new undergraduate starters at the OU. Their share has risen from 5.7% in 2019/20 to 9.5% in 2025/26.

The figures point to a wider shift towards younger students choosing flexible online higher education at The Open University.

Almost four in ten new undergraduate starters are now aged under 25. There were 14,178 students in this age group in 2025/26, up 10% from 12,931 the previous year.

The median age of a new undergraduate OU student has also fallen to 27, its lowest level on record.

Professor Dave Phoenix, Vice-Chancellor of The Open University, said:

“Young people are thinking differently about what they want from university and how they can afford it.

“For many, the cost of moving away from home and supporting themselves through a traditional university experience is a serious consideration. They want to gain a degree, but they may also need or want to continue earning.

“The Open University provides another option to get highly regarded qualifications underpinned by high quality research.

“Students can study at the same intensity as those on a full-time campus course while having the option to slow study if needed. This gives them greater control over where and when they learn.

“This can allow young people to remain in their community, continue working and build valuable professional experience alongside their studies.

“These figures show that flexible online learning is not simply something people turn to later in life. It is increasingly being chosen by people at the very beginning of their adult and working lives.”

Unlike a conventional university timetable, OU learning is principally delivered online and can be fitted around different working patterns and personal circumstances.

Students choose how many credits they study each year. They can work towards their degree at full-time intensity or reduce their study load if their work, finances or circumstances change.

Aya, age 21 from London, is currently studying at a full-time intensity in her first year at The Open University for a Computer Science with AI degree. At the OU, she is able to combine her studies with being a tattooist.

Aya, said:

“I was considering a traditional ‘brick’ university but then I saw an ad for the OU and studying flexibly online. At the OU, I’m able to study at my own pace while earning at the same time. It gives me so much flexibility to set my own timetable and fit my studies around work and the rest of my life.”

Professor Phoenix added:

“Young people should not have to choose between gaining a high-quality degree and earning a living.

“For some students, studying online means they can avoid moving costs and high accommodation bills. For others, it means keeping a job that provides essential income or experience in the career they hope to pursue.

“There has never been one single type of university student. The growth in younger learners shows that a new generation is embracing a model of higher education built around their lives, rather than requiring them to put the rest of their lives on hold.”

Main image: Students studying outside (copyright the OU)