Comment on UK student numbers at Russell Group universities

24 July 2023

In response to recent media reports about the numbers of UK students admitted to Russell Group universities, Dr Tim Bradshaw, Chief Executive of the Russell Group, said:

"Russell Group universities have grown UK student numbers in recent years, and home students continue to make up over three-quarters of our undergraduates. International student numbers have grown in recent years but not at the same rate, and the revenue they generate is reinvested into high-quality education and research to benefit all students.

"However, with Government per-student funding falling, this revenue is now being used to supplement both domestic teaching and publicly-funded research. Universities work to run as efficiently as possible, but if the situation remains unchanged, their ability to mitigate the impact on quality and choice for students is limited.

"That is why we are calling for a more sustainable approach to funding higher education that can offset the impact of inflation, is fair and affordable for students and the taxpayer, and protects the pipeline of skills to support innovation and economic growth."

Notes

Russell Group universities have grown UK student numbers in recent years, and home students continue to make up over three-quarters of our undergraduates, in line with the pre-pandemic trend.

UCAS figures show the number of UK 18-year-olds accepted to Russell Group universities in 2022 was up on the pre-pandemic trend, with a 12% increase on 2019 compared to a 5% rise for the equivalent international students.

The Russell Group’s latest modelling suggests that in 2022/23 English universities on average supplemented the cost of educating each UK undergraduate student by £2,500 per year. If the funding system for universities remains unchanged, we conservatively project this will increase to £5,000 per student per year by 2029/30.