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The UK's only independent think tank devoted to higher education.

Publications

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.

  • Benchmarking widening participation: how should we measure and report progress?

    5 April 2018 by Professor Iain Martin

    In this new Policy Note, Professor Iain Martin, Vice Chancellor at Anglia Ruskin University, looks at each university’s success in widening participation and ensuring access to people from all backgrounds. Professor Martin proposes a new measure of equity in participation, which demonstrates graphically the most equal – and most unequal…

  • Demand for Higher Education to 2030

    15 March 2018 by Bahram Bekhradnia and Diana Beech

    To look forward to the end of the next decade, this report considers demographic challenges, the strength of the supply chain and emerging policy disrupters. Its findings are based on data specifically commissioned by HEPI from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS),…

  • Differential tuition fees: Horses for courses?

    22 February 2018 by Nick Hillman

    This paper summarises the debate about differential tuition fees in UK higher education. It includes the results of a survey among students about differential fees. It also argues that differential fees are unlikely to deliver the benefits their supporters claim.

  • 2017 HEPI Annual Lecture

    1 February 2018 by Professor Tan Chorh Chuan

    This is a revised version of the most recent HEPI Annual Lecture, which focused in particular: on the ‘massification’ of higher education; the spread of liberal arts education; the expansion of the quantity of research; the importance of universities to innovation; and the need to provide the skills for the…

  • The costs and benefits of international students (including by parliamentary constituency)

    11 January 2018 by Gavan Conlon, Maike Halterbeck and Jenna Julius

    The Higher Education Policy Institute and Kaplan International Pathways are jointly publishing a major new piece of research, The costs and benefits of international students by parliamentary constituency, undertaken by London Economics. It shows: the gross benefits – including tuition fees, other spending and economic knock-on effects – of international…

  • What affects how much students learn? New analysis of Student Academic Experience Survey data

    8 January 2018 by Tim Blackman

    New analysis of the HEPI / HEA Student Academic Experience Survey by Tim Blackman, the Vice-Chancellor of Middlesex University, reveals students’ self-reported learning gain is linked to: having access to high-quality teaching undertaking high levels of independent study (especially above 20 hours a week) • providing support for students with low…

  • A Guide to UK League Tables in Higher Education

    4 January 2018 by Sally Turnbull

    This HEPI report looks under the bonnet of the three main UK league tables – The Times & Sunday Times Good University Guide, the Guardian University Guide and the Complete University Guide. Intended as a reference tool for governors, managers and policymakers, it reveals how the wealth of data is…

  • A Brexit Youthquake

    18 December 2017 by Jane Mackey, YouthSight Research Manager, and Nick Hillman, HEPI Director

    In A Brexit Youthquake?, HEPI and Youthsight report on the results of a new poll on of students on their current political views, voting intentions and opinions about Brexit. Key points: Most students (62%) want a second referendum on the nal Brexit deal Support for Labour among students has grown…

  • Why the OBR’s forecasts on students must improve

    1 December 2017 by Nick Hillman

    In this Policy Briefing Note, Why the OBR’s forecasts on students must improve, we question the Office for Budget Responsibility’s predictions of future student numbers.

  • How much is too much? Cross-subsidies from teaching to research in British universities

    9 November 2017 by Vicky Olive

    More than a decade ago, the UK Government committed to fund the full economic cost of publicly- funded research. Initially, some progress was made. But since austerity began to bite, we have been moving backwards. Under three-quarters of the true costs of UK research are covered from funds designated for research.…