HESA student data is the gold standard for understanding the size and shape of the whole higher education sector.
There’s more than enough in these releases to fill a lifetime of these articles – I’ve chosen here to plot a few of the newer and less-seen slices with a focus on place.
In releasing this data, the higher education statistics agency (HESA) notes – in particular – the rise in the post-graduate population, as we noted when we plotted the early statistical release back at the start of last month. The shift to postgraduate enrolment speaks to an economic necessity – undergraduate income (specifically for home students) isn’t rising any time soon, so providers are looking to postgraduate and international recruitment during this period of sharply rising costs.
We can see both postgraduate and international growth by provider in this latest HESA release – and also examine the parallel growth in non-resident students, who study remotely or spend a year on a placement. For those who do attend the campus, accommodation has become an increasingly pressurised experience and we can see that in the data by provider as well.
