Previous TEF ratings

Under the previous TEF scheme, participation was voluntary and over 300 higher education providers took part. Their ratings were awarded in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

All previous TEF ratings had been due to expire in 2021. We wrote to providers in June 2021 with information about the arrangements for the extension of these ratings until they are replaced by ratings from the TEF 2023 exercise.

We also wrote to providers without a TEF rating with information about applications for new provisional TEF ratings in advance of the TEF 2023 exercise, and a number of provisional TEF ratings were granted from September 2021. 

All of these ratings have now expired following the publication of the outcomes of the TEF 2023 exercise, except for providers with a TEF 2023 rating that is currently listed as ‘pending’. The previous TEF ratings for these providers will expire when we publish their TEF 2023 ratings.

All of the evidence used in the TEF exercises in 2017, 2018 and 2019 (known as TEF Year Two, Year Three and Year Four) is available for download from our TEF data archive, along with the statements of findings for each provider and the ratings awarded.

A list of all the providers that held a TEF rating prior to the publication of ratings from the TEF 2023 exercise is also available for download below: 

Providers have been advised not to promote or use previous TEF ratings for student information from September 2021.