In recent years, HEPI has produced over 20 reports a year. They are all available free of charge here on our website and all our longer reports are also available in hard copy from the HEPI office.
The version on the website should be regarded as the version of record.
Providing skills and expertise applicable to the workplace has always been a central component of universities’ provision. However, repeated government initiatives to involve employers more actively in the skills system over the past 60 years have shown few lasting successes. In this paper, Professor David Phoenix reflects on past initiatives…
New research reveals undergraduates and graduates overwhelmingly believe in the importance of getting a degree, but a high proportion say – with the benefit of hindsight – they would have made a different decision about what or where to study.
The creation of Skills England marks the UK government’s latest attempt to reform the post-16 skills system, aiming to better align education, training, and industrial priorities to drive economic growth. However, the new agency faces significant challenges, including limited autonomy, complex cross-departmental coordination, tensions between national and local priorities, and…
The problem of educational achievement by boys and young men is a long-standing and big one that has been largely ignored by policymakers. This new HEPI report considers the consequences for individuals and society and proposes:
In recent years, there has been a swing to science and away from the arts and humanities in the subjects students study at school and university. Why? A careful look at the data suggests policy and even schools may not be quite as influential on these choices as we think.
Building on our 2024 AI Survey, we surveyed 1,041 full-time undergraduate students through Savanta about their use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools. In 2025, we find that the student use of AI has surged in the last year, with almost all students (92%) now using AI in some form,…
In a new paper written for the Higher Education Policy Institute (www.hepi.ac.uk), Five Decades: One Lens – A view from the rear stalls, the longest serving university leader in the country, Dr John Cater, tells the story of Edge Hill University. Dr Cater reveals how his institution went from being a small…
The school and college curriculum plays a crucial role in preparing students for higher education, but does it always leave them well equipped? This report, which has been kindly sponsored by the University of Chester, draws on fresh student polling and extensive research to show that, while most undergraduate students…
The HEPI report provides an in-depth analysis of the 2024 student encampments protesting for Palestine, highlighting their motivations, challenges, and institutional responses.
Transnational education by UK providers enhances global access, economic growth, and quality, but demands greater transparency and data insights.