In 2023/24, the Open University, which focuses on remote learning, had approximately ******* students enrolled on courses, the highest in the UK during that academic year. After the Open University, University College London had the highest number of students in the UK, at ******, while the University of Manchester had the second-highest, at ******. The UK's oldest university, The University of Oxford, had ****** students studying there in this academic year.

In 2023/24 there were estimated to be over *** million students enrolled in higher education courses in the United Kingdom, compared with 2.94 million in 2022/23, the highest number of enrolled students during this provided time period. Although the number of students in the UK fell from *** million in 2011/12 to **** by 2014/15, this trend reversed in subsequent years, reaching the peak in the most recent year. Largest UK universities At ******* students, the mainly remote, Open University had the largest number of students enrolled among UK-based higher education institutions in 2022/23. University College London had the second-highest number of students at ******, followed by the University of Manchester at ******. At the UK's two oldest and most prestigious universities, Oxford and Cambridge, there were ******, and ****** students respectively. The university with the most students in Scotland was the University of Glasgow at *******students, with Wales' being Cardiff University at ****** students, and Northern Ireland's Ulster University having ****** students. Student Debt in the UK For students that graduated from English universities in 2024, the average student loan debt incurred over the course of their studies was over ****** British pounds. Although students graduated with less debt from universities in Wales, Northern Ireland, and especially Scotland, this too has been growing recently. In 2024, students from Scottish Universities graduated with an average of ****** pounds of debt, compared with ****** in Wales, and ****** in Northern Ireland. The overall outstanding student loan debt in the UK reached over *** billion pounds in 2023/24, with the vast majority of this debt from students who studied in England.

Over the five years through 2024-25, the Universities industry's revenue is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 2.1% to £56.5 billion. The increase in tuition fees to £9,250 in 2017-18 has been an important driver of revenue growth. However, with tuition fees frozen since then, inflation and particularly high inflation in the two years through 2023-24 has meant their real value has plummeted. The cap on undergraduate student numbers in the UK was lifted in 2020-21, leading to a rise in student enrolments, which has helped prop up universities’ income. Universities have struggled in the face of cuts to the level of research funding received from the government and disruption caused by the pandemic. Teaching went online in the final term of 2019-20 and remained there for most of the 2020-21 academic year due to restrictions imposed following the COVID-19 outbreak, pushing down revenue. However, despite fears of a fall in demand, student applications for 2020-21 rose and continued to climb in the following year. Universities are benefiting from the UK rejoining Horizon Europe, the EU’s flagship research programme – they’ve been able to access funding since January 2024. However, there are big concerns over ailing international student numbers since they currently prop up univeristy finances and help to subsidise domestic students' places. The introduction of the dependant ban in January 2024 on overseas students bringing family with them on their student visa for taught masters has seen applications from several countries fall. Revenue is still set to grow 1.9% in 2024-25 as funding levels rise and student numbers remain high. From April 2025, the DfE has confirmed tuition fees are due to increase in line with inflation to £9,535, which should lift revenue for universities. Over the five years through 2029-30, university revenue is forecast to climb at a compound annual rate of 1.2% to reach £60 billion. Strong demand from domestic students will further support revenue growth, with rising tuition fees boosting revenue post 2025. Commitment to the graduate visa route could be a positive signal for international student applicants, but the industry will need more funding intervention to prevent closures and budget cuts.

The University of Cambridge was listed as the best university in the United Kingdom in 2025 with an overall score of 1000, compared with the University of Oxford, which came in second-place with a score of 965.

The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2023 include 1,799 universities across 104 countries and regions, making them the largest and most diverse university rankings to date. The table is based on 13 carefully calibrated performance indicators that measure an institution’s performance across four areas: teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook.

The student sample for this research was selected from YouthSight’s Student Panel. Based on HESA statistics, the sample comprises national representation of gender, course year, and university type. The data is weighted on these factors. After fieldwork, the sample collected was checked for quality, and any ‘straight-liners’ were removed from the final total. The total student sample size is 2,153 respondents.Fieldwork was carried out between 29th July and 2nd August 2019.The survey instrument was developed by reviewing the limited number of studies and surveys on freedom of expression, consultations with colleagues and informed by our own experience. This resulted in the inclusion of seven comparative statements that are routinely used in surveys on freedom of expression in US universities, and a 15-item Moral Foundations Questionnaire, which enables the data to be interrogated by underlying moral profile. The definition of freedom of expression uses the framing adopted by King’s College London, which was developed through extensive consultation with the Students’ Union.

The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2020 includes almost 1,400 universities across 92 countries, standing as the largest and most diverse university rankings ever to date. The table is based on 13 carefully calibrated performance indicators that measure an institution’s performance across teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook.

The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2016-2017 list the 980 top universities in the world, making it our biggest international league table to date. It is the only global university performance table to judge world class universities across all of their core missions – teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook.

This dataset shows the location of Higher Education (HE) and Further Education (FE) institutes in the Great Britain. This should cover Universities and Colleges. Many institutes have more than one campus and where possible this is refelcted in the data so a University may have more than one entry. Postcodes have also been included for instities where possible. This data was collected from various sources connected with HEFE in the UK including JISC and EDINA. This represents the fullest list that the author could compile from various sources. If you spot a missing institution, please contact the author and they will add it to the dataset. GIS vector data. This dataset was first accessioned in the EDINA ShareGeo Open repository on 2011-02-01 and migrated to Edinburgh DataShare on 2017-02-21.

In the 2023/24 academic year, 29 percent of undergraduates obtaining their degree were awarded a degree with first-class honors, the highest possible grade for UK graduates. Almost half of all students achieved an upper second or 2.1, with 20 percent obtaining a lower second or 2.2, and just four percent of graduates obtained a third, the lowest possible pass grade. The share of UK students graduating with a first-class degree has increased significantly in this time period, while the share of students obtaining a 2.2 has fallen the most in the same time period. GCSE and A-Level grades also on the rise Higher grades for the UK's main qualification for high school students, the general certificate of secondary education (GCSE), have also increased recently. In 1988 for example, approximately 8.4 percent of GCSE entries received the highest grade, compared with 21.8 percent in 2024. This is also the case to a lesser-extent for advanced level GCSE results (A-Levels), with the share of entries being awarded an A or A* increasing from 17.8 percent in 2000 to 27.8 percent in 2024. There is no consensus on if these improvements are due to increased ability, or to grade inflation. During the COVID-19 pandemic, however, grades in the UK were a lot higher than in other years. This was due to teacher and tutor assessments being giving a higher weighting than normal, with exams being postponed or cancelled completely. The UK's top universities Britain's oldest and most famous universities, Cambridge and Oxford, remained the two highest-ranked universities in the UK in 2025, with the London School of Economics finishing third. According to the ranking, the University of St Andrews was the top university outside the south of England, with Durham University being the highest-ranked university in the north of England. The largest university in terms of enrolled students was the mainly remote focused Open University, which had over 140,000 students in 2022/23. Among universities that mainly taught on-campus, University College London had the most students enrolled, at almost 52,000.

Students from the Chinese ethnic group had the highest entry rate into higher education in every year from 2006 to 2024.

The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2021 include more than 1,500 universities across 93 countries and regions, making them the largest and most diverse university rankings to date. The table is based on 13 carefully calibrated performance indicators that measure an institution’s performance across four areas: teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook.

UK Student Loan Market size was valued at USD 3009.63 Billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 5394.76 Billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 7.56% from 2026 to 2032.Key Market DriversRising Higher Education Enrollment and Tuition Costs: The consistent growth in UK higher education participation rates combined with increasing tuition fees has significantly expanded the demand for student loans. This fundamental driver reflects both demographic trends and the continued perceived value of university education despite rising costs. UCAS data showed that 560,030 students were accepted into UK universities for the 2022/23 academic year, representing a 3.8% increase since 2019/20. The Student Loans Company reported that the average loan balance for borrowers who began repayment in 2022 was 45,060, a 17% increase from 2019 levels.International Student Growth and Specialized Financing: The UK has experienced substantial growth in international student numbers, creating expanded opportunities for private student lending as these students typically cannot access the same government-backed loans as domestic students. UCAS data showed international student acceptances increased by 12.3% between 2020 and 2023, with 70,055 non-UK students accepted in the 2022/23 academic year. Private student loan providers reported a 37% increase in lending to international students between 2020 and 2022, according to a Financial Conduct Authority market review.

This is a nationally representative cross-sectional survey of Chinese international students in the UK, with a comparison group of UK home students. It is part of a wider study with other surveys in Germany and China. The study population are taught (undergraduate and postgraduate) Chinese students studying in UK universities. Areas covered in the questionnaires: Socio-demographic characteristics and course details; family background (parental education, occupation, household income, siblings); prior education (academic achievement and educational migration); motivations for study abroad and decision-making process; personality traits and values (e.g., risk-taking attitude); study experience in current course; health and wellbeing; future life course aspirations; cosmopolitan vs national orientations.Young people moving away from home to seek 'bright futures' through higher education are a major force in the urbanization of China and the internationalization of global higher education. Chinese students constitute the largest single group of international students in the richer OECD countries of the world, making up 20 percent of the total student migration to these countries. Yet systematic research on a representative sample of these student migrants is lacking, and theoretical frameworks for migration more generally may not always apply to students moving for higher education. Bright Futures is a pioneering study that investigates key dimensions of this educational mobility through large-scale, representative survey research in China, the UK and Germany. We explore this phenomenon in two related aspects: the migration of students from the People's Republic of China to the UK (this data collection) and Germany for higher education, and internal migration for studies within China. This research design enables an unusual set of comparisons, between those who stay and those who migrate, both within China and beyond its borders. We also compare Chinese students in the UK and Germany with domestic students in the two countries. Through such comparisons we are able to address a number of theoretical questions such as selectivity in educational migrations, aspirations beyond returns, the impact of transnationalization of higher education on individual orientations and life-course expectations, and the link between migration and the wellbeing of the highly educated. Bright Futures is a collaborative project, involving researchers from University of Essex, University of Edinburgh, UNED, University of Bielefeld and Tsinghua University. The research was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (UK), German Research Foundation (Germany) and the National Natural Science Foundation (China). The sample design is a two-stage stratified sample, with universities as the Primary Sampling Units (PSUs). The sample was stratified by university ranking and the size of Chinese students enrolled at the institution to ensure that students from different types of universities were proportionately represented. Within each university that agreed to participate we either sampled all Chinese students in undergraduate and taught postgraduate programmes, or (in universities with a very large population of Chinese students) took a random sample. In each university, we sampled the same number of British home students as Chinese students for comparison. The questionnaire for UK home students is designed to serve as a comparison group to Chinese students. All questionnaires were in the students’ main language, i.e. Chinese or English respectively. The survey was conducted online. The response rate at the student level was approximately 13 percent. Survey fieldwork took place between April 2017 and March 2018. The achieved sample size in the UK is 1,446 Chinese students and 1,678 home students.

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Distance Learning Market Size 2024-2028

The distance learning market size is forecast to increase by USD 149.23 billion at a CAGR of 9.65% between 2023 and 2028.

The growing demand for distance learning, fueled by the continuous development of technology, is a key driver of the distance learning market. As technology improves, online education becomes more accessible, engaging, and effective, allowing students to learn remotely with ease. The integration of advanced tools such as video conferencing, AI-driven assessments, and interactive content is further enhancing the appeal of distance learning.
In North America, the market is experiencing significant growth due to the integration of advanced technologies and shifting educational preferences. With a growing emphasis on flexible, personalized learning experiences, including self-paced e-learning, institutions are increasingly offering distance learning programs that cater to diverse student needs. This trend is expected to continue, contributing to the market's expansion in the region.

What will be the Size of the Distance Learning Market During the Forecast Period?

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The market is experiencing significant growth due to the increasing adoption of remote learning solutions among K-12 students and higher education students. Online assessments, video conferencing sessions, and virtual schools are becoming popular flexible education options for students who require flexibility in their learning schedules. Website-based mediums and application-based mediums, such as e-learning platforms, are increasingly being used to deliver educational programs. Internet access is essential for distance learning, making online learning platforms an indispensable tool for universities and colleges.

Market Segmentation

The market research report provides comprehensive data (region-wise segment analysis), with forecasts and estimates in 'USD Billion' for the period 2024-2028, as well as historical data from 2018 - 2022 for the following segments.

Type

  Traditional
  Online


Method

  Synchronous distance learning
  Asynchronous distance learning


Geography

  North America

    Canada
    US


  Europe

    Germany
    UK


  APAC

    China


  Middle East and Africa



  South America

By Type Insights

The traditional segment is estimated to witness significant growth during the forecast period. The market encompasses various methods and technologies, including gamification, personalized learning pathways, educational environments, and remote learning techniques. Traditional distance learning, characterized by asynchronous online courses, pre-recorded lecture books, and minimal instructor interaction, remains a significant revenue contributor. This approach caters to a broad audience, particularly those with limited access to digital devices or high-internet connectivity. Academic institutions and the government sector continue to offer traditional distance learning programs, such as those provided by the Open University in the UK via mail. However, corporate blended learning, online education solutions, and personalized learning solutions are gaining popularity due to their interactive and technologically advanced nature.

These methods include learning management systems, virtual classrooms, mobile e-learning platforms, and cloud-based e-Learning platforms. Moreover, the use of intranet connection, computers, tutorials, podcasts, recorded lectures, e-books, and machine learning technology enhances the learning experience. The market also serves academic users and corporate users through service providers and content providers. The increasing literacy rate, internet penetration, and the need for continuous skill upgrading further fuel the market's growth.

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The traditional segment accounted for USD 152.29 billion in 2018 and showed a gradual increase during the forecast period.

Regional Insights

North America is estimated to contribute 34% to the growth of the global market during the forecast period. Technavio's analysts have elaborately explained the regional trends and drivers that shape the market during the forecast period.

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The market in North America is experiencing significant growth due to the integration of advanced technologies and shifting educational preferences. With the rise of gamification, personalized learning pathways, and educational environments, online education solutions have become increasingly popular. Academic institutions and the government sector are expanding their digital services, offering distance learning programs through Learning Management Systems and cloud-based e-Learning platforms. Remote learning methods, such as pre-recorded lectures, tutorials, podcas

This dataset presents a cluster analysis of UK universities based on four synthetic environments: social, cultural, physical and economic. These were developed based on variables that represented an educational ecosystem of well-being. The cluster analysis was initially linked to the LSYPE-Secure dataset using the UKPRNs (i.e. higher education institutional number) and hence the cluster analysis used data from around 2009-2012 to represent Wave 6 and Wave 7 of the LSYPE-Secure dataset. The cluster analysis was based on using a variety of variables available from HESA and the Office for Students (OfS) to represent these environments, for example: Social: had demographics of students and staff including ethnicity and sex Cultural: had data on research and teaching scores Economic: had data on student: staff ratio and expenditure Physical: had data related to the built and natural environment including residential sites, blue and green spacesEarlier last year (April 2018), the UK Office for Students (OfS) noted that students from underrepresented groups such as black and minority ethnic (BME) students and those from disadvantaged backgrounds were less likely to succeed at university. Coupled with this, research has shown that students from these groups are also more likely to have poorer mental health and wellbeing. However, there is substantial social and political pressure on universities to act to improve student mental health. For example, the Telegraph ran the headline "Do British universities have a suicide problem?" Thus, in June 2018, the Hon. Sam Gyimah, the then UK universities minister, informed university vice-chancellors that student mental health and wellbeing has to be one of their top priorities. Universities are investing substantive sums in activities to tackle student mental health but doing so with no evidence base to guide strategic policy and practice. These activities may potentially be ineffective, financially wasteful, and possibly, counter-productive. Therefore, we need a better evidence base which this project intends to fulfil. Currently, there is a lack of evidence and understanding about which groups of young people going to universities may have poorer life outcomes (such as education, employment, and mental health and well-being) as a result of their mental health and wellbeing during their adolescent years. These life outcomes and their mental health and wellbeing, however, are important for understanding the context of the complex social identities of the young people, such as the intersections between their gender, ethnicity, sexuality, religion and socio-economic status. Otherwise, these young people may feel misunderstood or judged. Most of the large body of quantitative research on life outcomes tend to focus on one social characteristic/identity of the student, such as the young person's gender or ethnicity or socio-economic status, but not the combination of all of these, i.e. the intersectionalities. Primarily, the reason for this has been the lack of sufficient data. This research draws on data from the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England (LSYPE), which tracked over 15,000 adolescents' education and health over 7 years between 2004-2010 (from when they were 13-19 years old), and the Next Steps Survey, which collected data from the same individuals in 2015 when they were 25 years and in the job market. This dataset also had an ethnic boost, which thus allows for the exploratory analysis of intersectionalities. Currently, there are a number of interventions being implemented to improve the university environment. However, there is a lack of evidence on how the university environment (such as their its size, amount of academic support available, availability of sports activities, students' sense of belonging, etc.) can affect the young person'students' mental health and wellbeing life outcomes. This evidence can be determined through by using the LSYPE data supplemented and by university environment data supplemented from the National Student Survey (NSS) and the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). Thus this research uses an intersectional approach to investigate the extent to which the life outcomes of young persons who go to university are affected by their social inequality groupings and mental health and well-being during adolescence. Additionally, this research also aims to determine the characteristics of university environments that can improve the life outcomes of these young people depending on their social and mental health/wellbeing background. We use secondary data analysis of mainly HESA and OfS variables and created derived variables.

The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2019 includes more than 1,250 universities, making it our biggest international league table to date. It is the only global university performance table to judge research-intensive universities across all of their core missions: teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook. We use 13 carefully calibrated performance indicators to provide the most comprehensive and balanced comparisons, trusted by students, academics, university leaders, industry and governments.

This dataset contains the amount of money paid by UK higher education institutions to seven major publishers (Elsevier, Wiley, Springer, Taylor & Francis, Sage, Oxford University Press, and Cambridge University Press) for academic journals from 2010-14. The data was obtained by sending FOI requests to each institution through the website whatdotheyknow.com These are seven of the largest academic publishers but do not represent the total spend of these institutions on academic journals. UPDATE 08/10/2014: Added figures for 13 more institutions. UPDATE 22/10/2014: Added figures for subscriptions to Elsevier journals. Also includes additional figures for other publishers for 16 institutions. UPDATE 24/10/2014: Added figures for subscriptions to Elsevier journals for 13 more institutions. UPDATE 27/10/2014: Added figures for subscriptions to Elsevier journals for 5 more institutions.

Over the five years through 2025-26, revenue is expected to increase at a compound annual rate of 2.3% to £5 billion. The numerous benefits of online education and training (e.g. reduced learning and development costs, time savings and flexibility and promotion of continuous development) have spurred growth. Recognising its advantages, the government has implemented a series of measures to hasten the uptake of educational technology by investing in improving household internet connections across the UK. The rise in student numbers has supported demand for additional training courses for those looking to boost their grades. The COVID-19 pandemic hiked revenue during 2020-21, with the forced closure of schools and universities pushing many courses online. Many universities are now committed to ensuring lectures and course material are uploaded online, a legacy of the COVID-19 technological wave. Revenue is anticipated to grow by 2.6% over 2025-26, with growth picking up again after naturally slowing following the surge in demand during the pandemic and encouragement from many critics to return to face-to-face learning to improve the learning experience and re-connect classmates. Over the five years through 2030-31, revenue is forecast to climb at a compound annual rate of 4.6% to £6.2 billion. The COVID-19 pandemic has hastened the adoption of online education and training, as lockdown periods normalised the use of technology and individuals have become accustomed to a new learning method. Unemployment rates are low, but a high number of vacancies remain, despite falling from COVID-19 highs, that aren't being met with the right skills, which is encouraging online learning and training. The number of UK 16- to 18-year-olds participating in full-time education is high, with record university applications that will boost online learning too. The growing skills gap will sustain demand as online platforms look to adapt to the changing job market and provide employees with the skills needed to secure work. The rise of free educational content through social media platforms like YouTube and LinkedIn will constrain future growth. The average profit margin is expected to expand to 18.4% in 2030-31.