Universities ‘over-optimistic’ about student number growth

The Office for Students has warned universities not to be too ambitious about student numbers when forecasting their future financial stability.

In a report published on 4 April, called Financial Sustainability of Higher Education Providers in England, the OfS expresses concern over the reliability of universities’ predictions about future student recruitment.

The analysis suggests that English institutions expect to see a 10 per cent growth in student recruitment by 2021-22, equivalent to an increase of 171,000 full-time students. This is despite a projected 5 per cent decline in the UK population of 18-year-olds over the same period.