Higher education in facts and figures 2012

Our popular statistics publication presenting statistics relating to students, staff and finance for the whole of the UK higher education sector.

The key points from this year's higher education in facts and figures 2012 are:

• There are more than two and a half million students studying in the UK at all levels, a third of which are part-time students. 

• While Business is the biggest subject group when combining undergraduate and postgraduate students, Health allied subjects is the biggest subject group for undergraduate students.

• From total academic staff 44% are female, 12% are from black and minority ethnic groups, 3% are disabled and 24% have Non-UK nationality.

• Public expenditure on higher education as a percentage of GDP is one of the lowest in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).