Opening doors to education: how Kaplan Pathways is expanding university access

During the last two decades, we have seen the education landscape evolve significantly, and Kaplan has successfully adapted to these industry shifts. From cutting-edge digital courses to sought-after International Year One programs with progression to Russell Group and other universities, we have continued to innovate to break down barriers to education.

20 years of student success

September 2025 marks 20 years since Kaplan Pathways opened its first International College in partnership with Nottingham Trent University. Since then, the company has grown exponentially, with more than 25 university partners worldwide and more than 10,000 students of 124 nationalities recruited in 2024 alone.

Introducing innovative digital learning pathways

Of course, the world of education has changed a lot since 2005, driven by students’ changing needs and aspirations. The rise of digital learning has opened unprecedented opportunities for students worldwide, democratising access to quality education.

Kaplan has been at the forefront of this transformation, designing digital degree preparation courses that put students’ goals and potential first. These programmes aren’t just about offering a remote learning solution – they’re about empowering students to pursue their academic dreams on their own terms. They provide a pathway to international education that is accessible and affordable, without compromising on the student experience, with all the support and career skills offered by in-person learning.

New routes to highly ranked universities

Kaplan firmly believes that differences in school systems around the world shouldn’t prevent students from gaining access to the very best global universities. Recently, we have deepened our already strong links with our university partners by launching a range of new International Year One (IYO) course options. These give students more opportunities than ever before to reach a top UK university.

For example, the IYO in Engineering at Kaplan International College London now offers progression to highly regarded engineering degrees at City St George’s, University of London. The IYO in Business also provides a unique route to Queen Mary University of London as the UK’s only business IYO leading to a London-based Russell Group university.

Kaplan firmly believes that differences in school systems around the world shouldn’t prevent students from gaining access to the very best global universities

Another of our Russell Group partners, the University of York, has launched two brand-new IYOs in Business and Computer Science for Kaplan students, taught on the university campus, and has also signed up as a progression partner for Kaplan’s new Digital IYO in Business.

Building resilience

Finally, Kaplan’s commitment to innovation in an ever-changing landscape isn’t limited to its academic courses.

We sought feedback from our students on their wellbeing needs and found that there was a strong demand for mindfulness and resilience techniques. With the knowledge that these skills are highly prized by employers too, Kaplan launched a mindfulness-based resilience program.

The program has since garnered many positive reviews from students and has even been made available to Kaplan staff, too.

Given that resilience is no longer seen as ‘just’ a soft skill by employers but rather as a vital attribute, these extra-curricular programmes open doors not just to higher education, but to a world of career opportunities too.

Breaking down barriers to success

So, what can we learn from Kaplan Pathways’ 20-year journey? That with innovation, adaptability and the flexibility to respond quickly to the changing needs of both students and employers, there need be no barriers between aspiration and achievement. A quality education should be and can be accessible to all.

About the author: Linda Cowan is the managing director of Kaplan Pathways. She has extensive experience in international education, and plays a key role in shaping Kaplan’s student pathways and forging partnerships with UK and other universities around the world.

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