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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.

  • How do Admissions Professionals use the UCAS personal statement?

    15 June 2023 by Tom Fryer & Steven Jones

    A survey of 113 higher education admissions professionals from over 30 higher education providers shows the average time spent reading a UCAS personal statement is two minutes. Four-in-ten (39%) are read for one minute or less. In How do Admissions Professionals use the UCAS personal statement? (HEPI Policy Note 48), Tom Fryer…

  • Good Regulation: Lessons for England from the Australian Experience?

    8 June 2023 by Anthony McClaran

    The Higher Education Policy Institute has published a new Policy Note on the regulation of English higher education by Anthony McClaran, the Vice-Chancellor of St Mary’s University, Twickenham, and a former Chief Executive of both the UK’s Quality Assurance Agency and Australia’s Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA).

  • The disconnect between quality and  inequality: An analysis of the gaps in educational outcomes achieved by free school meal-eligible students in English higher education 

    1 June 2023 by Professor Antony C. Moss

    The disconnect between quality and inequality: An analysis of the gaps in educational outcomes achieved by free school meal-eligible students in English higher education (Policy Note 46) by Professor Antony C. Moss, Pro Vice Chancellor for Education and Student Experience at London South Bank University, shows disadvantaged pupils experience persistent educational…

  • Comparative Study of Higher Education Academic Staff Terms and Conditions 

    25 May 2023 by Emma Ogden

    The Higher Education Policy Institute is publishing a new report, Comparative Study of Higher Education Academic Staff Terms and Conditions, which was commissioned from SUMS Consulting (www.sums.org.uk). The paper benchmarks the pay and benefits of academics based on the various drivers of ‘Good Work’ defined by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and…

  • Does the Lifelong Loan Entitlement meet its own objectives?

    11 May 2023 by Rose Stephenson

    The new Lifelong Loan Entitlement (LLE), due to start in 2025, is a major and positive improvement to how the student support system in England enables lifelong participation in higher education. It also has the prospect of commanding cross-party support, at least in broad design if not in the detail.…

  • The Humanities in the UK Today: What’s Going On?

    30 March 2023

    UK universities have, historically, been strong in the Humanities as well as other disciplinary areas. So the country is well-placed to benefit from the global shift towards interdisciplinary ways of working. This report looks at the current health of Humanities throughout the UK, in both teaching and research, and uncovers…

  • Turning Around a University: Lessons from personal experience

    16 March 2023 by Professor Susan Lea

    Changes to the UK higher education landscape since 2010 and a range of internal challenges had seen the University of Hull confront a position of considerable risk in around 2017. Yet the city of Hull and the wider region is precisely the sort of place that needs a resilient and…