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Table of Contents

Executive Summary

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Executive Summary

Market Definition

INTRODUCTION

DEFINITION

Market Size

ENROLMENTS IN THE FURTHER AND HIGHER EDUCATION MARKET

GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE

SECTOR TRENDS

Table 1: Enrolments of Home and Overseas Students in Further and Higher Education (000), 1991/1992-1994/1995

Figure 1: Enrolments in Further and Higher Education (000), 1991/1992 to 1994/1995

Table 2: Expenditure on Higher, Further and Adult Education (£m), 1992/1993 and 1993/1994

Table 3: Number of Institutions in Further and Higher Education in the UK, 1992/1993-1994/1995

Table 4: Higher Education Qualifications Obtained (000), 1991/1992-1993/1994

Table 5: International Participation Rates of 18 to 21 Year-Olds in Higher Education ( percent), 1992

Table 6: Public Expenditure on Education as a percentage of all Public Expenditure ( percent), 1992

Industry Background

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

RECENT HISTORY

STRUCTURE

INFLUENCERS ON FURTHER EDUCATION

Competitor Analysis

INTRODUCTION

UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION

POSTGRADUATE EDUCATION

FURTHER EDUCATION

KEY ESTABLISHMENTS

PROFESSIONAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION

OTHER DISTANCE LEARNING INSTITUTIONS

ADULT RESIDENTIAL COLLEGES

SOURCES OF FURTHER INFORMATION

Table 7: Selected Leading Long-Established Universities in the UK, 1996

Table 8: Selected Leading Newer Universities, 1996

Table 9: Major Providers of Further Education to Mature Students, 1996

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT)

STRENGTHS

WEAKNESSES

OPPORTUNITIES

THREATS

Buying Behaviour

AGE ANALYSES

SUBJECT INTERESTS

VOCATIONAL/ACADEMIC COURSE STUDENTS

INFLUENCE OF OVERSEAS STUDENTS

Table 10: Number of Home Students Aged 16 and Over in Continuing Education (further and higher education) on Courses (000), 1994/1995

Table 11: Enrolments by Subject in Higher Education (HE) and Further Education (FE) Home and Overseas Students (000), 1994/1995

Table 12: Enrolments in Vocational and Academic Courses Leading to Specified Qualifications for Students Aged 16-18 and Those Aged 19 and Over (000), 1994/1995

Table 13: Top Overseas Countries With Students in UK Higher and Further Education Institutions (000), 1993/1994

Outside Suppliers to the Industry

EDUCATIONAL EQUIPMENT

ELECTRONICS AND INSTRUMENTATION

AUDIO-VISUAL EQUIPMENT

COMPUTERS AND SOFTWARE

BOOKS

STATIONERY

PHOTOCOPIERS

EDUCATIONAL CONSULTANTS

Current Issues

FUNDING

HIGHER EDUCATION MARKETING AND EXPANSION INITIATIVES

GROWTH IN BUSINESS EDUCATION

PEARSON PLC'S EXPANSION INTO PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION

Forecasts

ENROLMENTS 1995/1996 TO 1998/1999

THE DEARING COMMITTEE

MORE UNIVERSITIES?

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT) AND EDUCATION

INVOLVEMENT OF PUBLISHING/COMMUNICATIONS COMPANIES

EXPORT POTENTIAL OF HIGHER/FURTHER EDUCATION PRODUCTS

COMPANY-BASED COLLEGES

FRANCHISING

THE FUTURE OF UNIVERSITIES

THE FUTURE OF THE FURTHER EDUCATION SECTOR

THE FUTURE FOR THE WHOLE SECTOR

Table 14: Enrolments in the Further and Higher Education Market (000), 1995/1996-1998/1999

Appendix

SELECTED LEADING PROVIDERS OF UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES

SELECTED LEADING POSTGRADUATE DEGREE CENTRES

SELECTED LEADING PROVIDERS OF FURTHER EDUCATION

Further Sources

ASSOCIATIONS

PERIODICALS

DIRECTORIES

GENERAL SOURCES

HBI UK INFORMATION SOURCES

GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS

OTHER SOURCES

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The further and higher education market has been growing very fast over the last 5 years. There are a number of reasons for this. Firstly, the number of undergraduate students in higher education has risen dramatically, quite apart from the fact that the polytechnics were granted university status in 1992. Secondly, there has been a big rise in the number of postgraduate students taking either taught degrees or research degrees. Thirdly, there has been a substantial increase in the number of people taking further educational or vocational courses as a way of enhancing their careers. Fourthly, the development of the National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) system, plus the desire by employers to improve the educational/training qualifications of their employees has also given this education sector a boost. Finally, the rise in redundancies, especially among the managerial class, plus the increase in short-term contracts has fuelled an increased interest in further and higher education.

This report covers the kind of education available to people aged over 18, with an emphasis on vocational and professional education, and also on the providers of education for mature students. Therefore, it includes General Certificates of Secondary Education (GCSEs) and A levels, but excludes adult education, which is more recreational than vocational. However, subjects such as history and languages, which are not vocational, are included.

The market is huge. There are some 110 universities, another 110 other higher education institutions, plus 701 further education colleges, of which 114 are sixth-form colleges. The total number of students in the further and higher education sector in the 1994/1995 academic year was 5.5 million.

There is a high number of part-time and mature students in this sector. Government statistics show that 48.2 percent of all students in the further and higher education sector (including adult education centres) are over the age of 25, while 59.3 percent of all further and higher students are part timers. In the part-time sector, the Open University is pre-eminent: it accounts for 21.8 percent of all students in part-time higher education.

Latest government statistics show that in the 1993/1994 year, £8.58bn was spent on the further and higher education sector. However, capital budgets are under strain, as are institutions' libraries and computer centres. The primary reason is that Government funding has simply not kept up with the huge increase in student numbers. Indeed, at the start of 1996, the Government announced a cut in university budgets for the 1996/1997 year of between 3 percent and 4 percent, which the universities say will lead to higher student fees plus the introduction of admission fees, and even the closure or merger of universities.

Text © 1996 Key Note

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