THE location where Warrington graduates are flocking to after gaining a degree has been revealed – and just a hint, it’s not Warrington.

Analysis of DfE data by the ONS showed that London was the most popular destination that graduates from the town were moving to during 2018/2019.

It stated that of those in Warrington’s GCSE cohort, 460 graduates from that year left the north west, and most commonly moved to the capital.

Meanwhile 140 non-graduates, meaning those with A-Level qualifications, a foundation degree or a higher apprenticeship, also left the north west, with the most common region for re-location being Yorkshire and The Humber.

In 2018/19, it was also found that 20 per cent of graduates and 15 per cent of qualified non-graduates living in Warrington had moved to the town from elsewhere.

Overall, the ONS concluded that Warrington ended up with fewer graduates and a ‘similar proportion of non-graduates’ during that time period.

The organisation added that, ‘the size and deprivation level of a town, as well as the qualification levels of older residents, were all related to students' educational attainment’.

Figures provided by the DfE showed that out of the 8,180 pupils from Warrington who sat their GCSE’s between 2007 and 2008 and 2010 and 2011, 34 per cent of these pupils went on to gain degree level qualifications.

And another 34 per cent went on to gain advanced post-16 qualifications.

Of these, ONS analysed that 70 per cent of graduates and 84 per cent of qualified ‘non-graduates’ were still living in Warrington after achieving their qualifications.

To find out more visit: ons.gov.uk/releases/geographicalmobilityofyoungpeopleacrossenglishtownsandcities