Our Bar Training Stats report has been published today, demonstrating the difficulty of passing the Bar Course and gaining pupillage. It also shows the variation in successful outcomes for students depending on where they study.
Five years after enrolling on the course, 41% of UK students have obtained pupillage. Final outcomes varied significantly across providers – the lowest pupillage rate for UK students five years after enrolment was 11%. The highest was 67%.
The overall pass rate across providers is 78%, with a high of 100% and a low of 63%.
Pass rates differ by undergraduate degree class – for the 24/25 student cohort, 92% of those with a first-class degree have passed the course, compared with 78% of those with a 2:1 and only 56% of those with a 2:2.
While fees have increased in real terms since last year, they remain lower than before the introduction of the Bar training reforms. The average tuition fee was £17,600 in 2025/26. After adjusting for inflation, average fees were £16,700 in 2024/25 and £21,100 in 2019/20.[1]
It is crucial that students choose carefully where they study. Given the costs involved, they should also have a realistic view of their chances of passing and gaining pupillage before enroling on a Bar Course.
Professor Christopher Bones, Chair, The Bar Standards Board 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.
We have established a new Education and Training Committee, which will oversee standards of Bar training. Given some of the disparities highlighted in this report, the Board has decided to launch a full review in the coming year to consider the fitness and purpose of the current system.”
[1] 2019/20 was the final year before the new courses were introduced in 2020/21. For more information on Bar training reforms, please see our previous reports.
