UK HE TNE data collection from 2026-27 – what's changing?

Forthcoming changes to the UK’s TNE data record are set to unlock greater insights on the global footprint of higher education. This will build upon and expand the UK’s already world-leading existing dataset to capture significantly greater detail on the UK’s world-class provision to TNE students, of which there were 653,570 in 2023-24.   

From 2026-27, all four UK nations will submit expanded data on TNE provision to the Higher Education Statistics Agency's (HESA’s) Aggregate Offshore Record (AOR). This expanded record is intended to improve our collective understanding of UK TNE provision, overhauling previously limited data fields to include more nuanced categories. The new data model for the AOR from 2026-27 sets out these new categories and outlines how, for the first time, we will gather data on the subjects TNE students are studying and what qualifications they achieve.  

New data categories will also capture which provider registers TNE students, which provider awards qualifications, who UK TNE delivery partners are and who delivers the teaching. This will bolster existing and expanded data categories on TNE student status, progression and completion; on the type of TNE programme (whether independent, partnership, franchised, or validated); and on the type of venue where the TNE programme is delivered (whether international branch campus, joint venture, partner campus, or distance learning).

UUKi’s Monitoring & Evaluation Tools in TNE Group (M&E Group), with representatives from the four nations of the UK, has engaged with all stages of the AOR review since it was launched in 2022. We previously published a blog about where we saw the greatest opportunities arising from the expanded data collection on TNE, but also where we thought the sector was going to face the biggest challenges.  

UUKi’s M&E group has provided HESA with constructive feedback on potential issues, including relaying ambiguity on some of the categories that were proposed, to secure further clarity on the nature and scope of the new data. The M&E group has also cautioned against recording details that could put any students or partners at risk of legal prosecution or social exclusion, given they are studying and working across many legal and regulatory contexts.  

Most significantly, we offered a constructive and carefully weighed recommendation against a proposed shift away from an aggregated dataset to an individualised record. Following sector feedback and findings of the independent PwC review of Data Futures, it became clear that such a move would have placed an unsustainable burden on universities, partners, and the data infrastructure itself. Now that the new reporting categories have been confirmed, we want to reflect on what’s changing from 2026-27 and how this may benefit UK higher education.

The expanded HESA AOR data record will enable a significantly more comprehensive picture of UK TNE to the benefit of a range of stakeholders. It will be possible to triangulate new data points against regions and countries where there is growth in UK TNE to inform more sophisticated business planning. The new categories will also enable UK providers to take a data-informed approach to quality assurance in TNE and to better understand who the students participating in their TNE programmes are. This in turn has the potential to lead to improvements in the TNE student experience and deeper engagement with the global communities that the UK partners with. At a sectoral level, the enhanced dataset will complement the activities of the Quality Assurance Agency’s Quality Evaluation and Enhancement TNE (QE-TNE) scheme, which continues to support providers across all four UK nations.

The expanded data reporting requirements will demand more from UK universities and partners and we must remain mindful of the multifaceted pressures on the UK higher education sector that continually impact and re-shape its operating environment. Yet, with the appropriate guidance and support mechanisms, we hope that a more nuanced record will enable better collective understanding of the UK’s TNE and unlock opportunities for universities and students. We encourage all TNE providers to begin preparing for the data changes, liaising between international office staff and data collection teams to ensure a joined-up approach.

UUKi remains available to support member universities as providers continue to prepare for the new TNE AOR data requirements. If you wish to contact UUKi, please do get in touch with Annabelle Lee, Policy Advisor, UUKi ([email protected]).

Aneta Hayes — Chair, UUKi Monitoring & Evaluation Tools in TNE Group, and Head of Academic Partnerships (TNE) at University of Portsmouth