The UK’s universities are a success story and one of the UK’s greatest assets.
2.7
m
students educated every year
19k
spin-outs, startups and social enterprises created
10k
public service workers trained every year
Universities transform lives for the better by:
Providing the knowledge and skills that drive growth and prosperity
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Our universities educate over 2.7 million students every year. That’s 96% of all higher education students in the UK.
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UK universities contribute £130 billion a year to the economy and support more than 760,000 jobs.
Making groundbreaking discoveries that have the power to change the world
- Our universities generate world-leading research. The UK is the fourth largest producer of research in the world and in 2021, 84% of university research submitted for assessment was considered world-leading or internationally excellent.
Forming partnerships that are integral to the success of local communities
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Our universities are responsible for helping create 19,000 active spinout companies, start-ups and social enterprises, employing 96,000 people.
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Between 2021 and 2026, UK universities will provide more than £11.6 billion of support and services to small enterprises, businesses, and not-for-profits.
Powering our public services by training the next generation of nurses, doctors and teachers
- Our universities train over 100,000 public service workers every year. That includes 42,000 nurses, 21,000 medical specialists, and 38,000 teachers.
What's next?
What we’ve achieved so far is only a fraction of what universities could do.
With continued strong demand for graduates and a predicted boom in the number of 18-year-olds over the coming years, universities stand ready to work with the next government to meet this demand and do everything we can to support growth, jobs and opportunity across the UK. We want to play the strongest possible role in supporting growth and opportunity in the next decade.
Here’s what we need from the next government to do that. These measures are essential for thriving universities to serve the UK.
Publication
Impact of universities: in numbers
Our universities are a national asset. They give opportunities, grow the economy, solve global challenges, and equip graduates with skills for the future.
Explore some of the most compelling evidence behind the impact of universities.
Working together with Newcastle University as well as Legal and General, we’ve been able to support the talent coming into our region’s key sectors as well as develop a thriving eco-system of start-ups and spinouts that meet the challenges of the future.
Councillor Alex Hay
Newcastle City Council’s Cabinet member for a Thriving City