Britain’s best apprenticeships revealed: They’re high-paying, interesting careers with no degree needed – but can be wildly competitive. Now our experts reveal the top choices – and how to apply

With the rise of ‘Mickey Mouse’ degrees and spiralling student debt, many young people will be questioning whether heading to university is really the right choice for their future – and, increasingly, looking towards alternative routes into higher education and employment.

Apprenticeships can be a brilliant gateway into certain careers, with the added bonus of not leaving those who get on to them saddled with debt.

These schemes exist across various industries and range from trade and skills-based roles all the way to so-called degree-apprenticeships that place you in high-paid corporate roles, such as in finance or pharmaceuticals.

In many schemes, apprentices can gain a fully funded degree while learning on the job and earning a salary. Youngsters end up with a degree-level qualification alongside three or four years of on-the-job training. 

These degree apprenticeships offer a direct route into graduate level positions – but as a result can be incredibly competitive. 

Increasingly popular with middle-class families, many of the top degree apprenticeships are now even more competitive than places at Russell Group universities, according to the Education Policy Institute.

The placements can be highly lucrative, with graduates earning on average £37,000 just one year after completing the course – compared with £18,555 among those who study for traditional degrees.

Here, we take a look at some of the best apprenticeship schemes in Britain, how much they pay – and what you need to do to secure a place.

Accountancy

For years, having a graduate degree was the easiest way into a career in accounting. But today, major companies are increasingly investing in school-leaver schemes to develop talent from the ground up.

Accountancy apprenticeships are notoriously competitive but can provide a direct route into well-paying roles for maths- and business-minded students.

When it comes to accounting, the big four firms – PwC, EY, Deloitte and KPMG – are taking the lead. All four offer ‘degree apprenticeships’, which allow you to work towards an undergraduate or master’s degree while working. Most combine full-time employment with part-time university study and typically last three to four years, while tuition fees are paid by the employer.

Of the big four, PwC’s programme ranks the highest, coming 10th on the Department for Education’s top 100 apprenticeship employers list. EY and KPMG are both in the top 100. The ranking is based on criteria such as feedback from participants, intake numbers and achievement beyond the programme.

PwC offers both a degree apprenticeship scheme and a ‘flying start’ degree programme. Unlike the degree apprenticeship scheme, the flying start programme is unfunded, but candidates do still receive a salary, starting at around £19,000, according to Glassdoor, which increases with experience. Students are paid only for the months they work at PwC. PwC itself doesn’t reveal salary information for the courses.

While students will have to fund their three-year flying start course themselves, PwC offers accommodation if required and some partner universities offer reduced fees.

The flying start course offers a degree from universities in London, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Reading. Students study at university for two terms each academic year, and spend the other term in full time work at PwC.

Degree apprentices, meanwhile, will earn a starting salary of £21,000 at PwC, according to data from jobs site Indeed, and could get a permanent role once they’ve completed their four-year course of studies.

Apprentices spend one day a week studying, and one week per term on campus. The rest of the time they work within their team at PwC.

You can apply for PwC via UCAS – the official higher education applications portal – and pick from multiple Flying Start programmes, with each university counting as one of your UCAS options. Applications for the 2027 academic year will open in May.

Applicants will face a selection process that includes assessments, interviews and an ‘immersive assessment centre’ – where you are given different tasks to get a feel for what a working day at the company might be like. You need AAB grades at A-level to apply.

PwC says apprenticeship programmes are not currently open for new applicants. When they open in the autumn, they will appear on PwC’s website. 

Graduate accountants at the big four typically start on a salary of £28,000 to £35,000 a year in London, rising to £45,000 to £65,000 for seniors and £60,000 to £80,000 for managerial roles.

Banking

The banking sector offers some of the best graduate programmes in Britain. Many banks offer schemes across their different services and for all levels of training, in everything from finance, economic crime, data science, technology engineering and fraud to corporate and commercial banking. They take between one and four years to complete.

Santander, for example, offers apprenticeship schemes ranging from level 1 (foundation courses equivalent to five GCSEs at grades D-G) all the way to level 6 (equivalent to degree level).

Lower-level apprenticeships can be applied for with no prior experience, whereas those at a higher level have stricter requirements, with candidates often needing three A-levels to be eligible.

Each course will have its own set of requirements. Top roles include those offered by investment banks – the likes of German group Deutsche Bank, American firm JP Morgan and Swiss group UBS.

JP Morgan’s financial services apprenticeship scheme offers a four-year programme in London, Bournemouth or Edinburgh within its investment operations, technology, compliance or finance teams.

As of 2021, JP Morgan accepted more than 120 apprentices across its schemes covering both finances and technology.

Salaries start at £21,000, according to Glassdoor data. JP Morgan doesn’t reveal salaries itself.

Those who complete the course will earn a degree from either Exeter or Edinburgh-based Heriot-Watt, depending on the route they take, and could be offered a full-time position after completion.

According to Glassdoor, JP Morgan offers average salaries between £52,000 and £80,000 for full-time investment banking analyst roles.

Applications typically open in late September. When applications are open, they can be made on JP Morgan’s website.

Prospective candidates can sign up to JP Morgan’s newsletter to find out when applications for the scheme open. 

Science

Apprentices can also jump into the pharmaceutical world through courses in engineering and science at leading drugmaker companies.

AstraZeneca currently has apprenticeship roles open in both its Macclesfield and Cambridge campuses. These programmes cover both laboratory scientist positions and quality control positions across microbiology, pharmaceutical development, supplier management, biopharmaceuticals and genomics.

All of these roles are level 6 qualifications, meaning they are equivalent to a bachelor’s degree, and come with a £24,570 salary, a benefits fund and a bonus, which is listed at 8 per cent of annual salary for some roles.

Degree apprentices can really rise up the ranks. For example, Karen Capper, who is now senior director of microbiology science and technology at the firm, started as a degree apprentice in 1990. Part-time learning on the course is fully funded by AstraZeneca. Roles can be applied for on their website. 

Similar degree apprenticeship roles are offered by other pharma giants such as Pfizer and GSK. Pfizer, for example, has a clinical trials apprentice programme which offers £20,500 per year, and a fully funded Applied Science BSC from the University of Kent.

Apprenticeship programmes for most pharmaceutical firms are currently open for the academic year starting in September, and close as early as February 15. Both AstraZeneca and Pfizer ask for BCC grades at A-level as a minimum. Pfizer applications can be made on its website. 

Senior scientist roles at pharmaceutical companies typically pay between £43,000 and £57,000, according to graduate site Prospects.

Tech and AI

Students can also secure work at the companies at the forefront of AI, computer science and software development, with a number of tech companies offering degree apprenticeship programmes.

For example, French IT firm Capgemini is offering a four-year degree apprenticeship from Manchester Metropolitan University alongside a paid full-time role.

The firm offers roles in both user experience (UX) and Digital and Technological Solutions. UX roles focus on designing software that fits with the needs of users, while Digital and Technology Solutions focuses on developing software and systems for businesses, including software engineering, cybersecurity and data analytics.

The courses, based in Telford, Shropshire, and Worthing, West Sussex, will pay £20,000 per year, increasing annually, and are fully funded.

Capgemini is ranked as one of the Department for Education’s top 100 apprenticeship employers. You can apply through their website. 

Meanwhile, JP Morgan also offers technology degree apprenticeships with routes into software engineering, network engineering, cybersecurity, data analytics, business analysis and IT consultancy. Glassdoor says these roles start at £22,000.

Cybersecurity analyst roles at JP Morgan, for example, offer an average base salary of £89,771 for senior employees with ten years of experience, according to careers site Levels.fyi.

The course offers a BSc in Digital and Technology Solutions from the University of Exeter and potential for a full-time role upon completion. The apprenticeships can be completed in either London or Bournemouth. Applications are currently closed and will open in the autumn on the JP Morgan website. 

Engineering

Engineering firm Rolls-Royce has leading apprenticeship schemes in both broad engineering and manufacturing engineering. Both four-year programmes pay £22,990 annually and are based in Bristol.

Rolls-Royce roles focus on both the civil aerospace sector and on defence. Upon completion, candidates will earn a BEng in Mechanical Engineering with Manufacturing degree, or a BEng in Aerospace Engineering.

Rolls-Royce apprenticeships for the coming academic year are currently closed. Applications typically open in late autumn on its website. 

Rolls-Royce programmes require three A-levels at C or above, including one in maths, engineering or science.

Currently, the European defence sector is booming, and many companies operating in this space could prove great options for degree apprenticeships.

For example, BAE Systems offers a number of degree apprenticeships, including in digital engineering, Aerospace engineering and manufacturing engineering.

BAE ranks in second on the list of top 100 apprenticeship employers.

Manufacturing engineering roles offer a starting salary of up to £25,688 in its Sunderland location, with annual salary progression throughout the degree course.

Upon completion, candidates will earn a manufacturing engineer degree as either a BEng or BSc. Applicants also need three A-levels at C or above, including a STEM subject.

Meanwhile, digital engineering positions offer £23,493 per year. These roles are based in Coventry, with courses starting in September.

Digital engineers work on BAE’s submarines projects, with the firm delivering four submarines to the Royal Navy over the next half a decade, candidates will work on programming, software development and testing. Applications close at the end of February and candidates can apply on their website. 

And one of the easiest to bag

Not all apprenticeships qualify you for a degree, but they may still be worth considering.

Transport for London offers some of the best schemes around, which run from level 2 up to level 6. However, unlike many lower-level apprenticeship schemes, starting pay isn’t low.

In fact, level 2 apprenticeship salaries start at £27,029, and can be as high as £27,944 for London Underground jobs.

All apprenticeship courses offer professional qualifications.

The London Underground track apprenticeship, for example, is a two-year course in which apprentices will work on tracks to ensure the safety and performance of the rail network.

The only requirements are a minimum of two GCSE pass grades in maths and English language, including if you are working towards these (proof of predicted grades is required).

Higher level positions are available in transport planning, project controls, project management, finance, civil engineering and arboriculture. While starting salaries are similar to lower level apprenticeships, the ceiling for these roles is much higher.

A TfL civil engineer graduate, for example, can expect to earn £32,250 in their first year, rising to £33,500 in their second year and reaching £37,250 in their third year.

Courses start in September, with applications currently open here.