The University of Cumbria is highlighted as one of the UK's largest providers of degree apprenticeships, with 2,300 apprentices currently enrolled and further growth expected by September 2027. The institution positions itself as a key regional provider for an area underserved by higher education, with strong graduate employment outcomes, and is expanding its campus network across Cumbria and beyond ahead of a new £80 million Carlisle development due in 2028.

Programmes range from professional forestry and paramedicine to digital user experience and youth work, and more than 85% of graduates move into high-skilled jobs, according to the latest Graduate Outcomes survey. The university has sites in Carlisle, Barrow-in-Furness, Ambleside, Lancaster and London, and opened a graduate-entry medical school in Carlisle in September 2025 in partnership with Imperial College London. New degrees launching for 2027 include accounting and finance, and security intelligence and cyber. Bursary spending, at just over £500,000, is comparatively modest, though additional support includes a Student Opportunity Fund, a BAE Systems-sponsored engineering scholarship worth up to £8,000, and £145,000 paid out this year in hardship funding; self-catered accommodation is among the cheapest in the UK, from £3,800 to £6,426 per contract.