Student number data

Student numbers 2021-22

About the 2021-22 data

Table 1a contains data for providers that returned either the Student record, Student Alternative record or Individualised Learner Record (ILR) in line with requirements for OfS registered providers in 2021-22. This data has been calculated using our 2021-22 method for calculating student numbers.

Table 1b contains the numbers of full-time equivalent higher education students on undergraduate courses relevant to the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) for each provider.

Table 2 contains data for providers that did not return Student, Student Alternative or ILR data in line with requirements for OfS registered providers in 2021-22. This normally includes providers that were not registered in 2021-22.

This information is taken from the most up-to-date financial data available when the provider is first published in Table 2. Where available, this information is taken from the financial tables submitted as part of the Annual Financial Return. Otherwise this information has been taken from the financial tables submitted as part of the registration process.

This data was last updated 24 July 2024 and is no longer being updated.

Calculating 2021-22 student numbers: Technical document and rebuild instructions (PDF, 444Kb)

The algorithms applied to the 2021-22 Student record, Student Alternative record and Individualised Learner Record (ILR) data, to determine a provider’s higher education and further education student numbers.

This document was updated on 15 February 2023 to reflect a correction to an exclusion clause. Incoming reciprocal Turing Scheme students (EXCHANGE=O) were erroneously included in the data published on 8 February 2023. They are now excluded from the population when using data returned in the student record. EXCHANGE=O was a new value added for 2021-22.

Student numbers 2020-21

About the 2020-21 data

Table 1a contains data for providers that returned either the HESA student record, HESA student alternative record or Individualised Learner Record in line with requirements for OfS registered providers in 2020-21. This data has been calculated using our 2020-21 method for calculating student numbers.

Table 1b contains the numbers of full time equivalent higher education students on undergraduate courses relevant to the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) for each provider.

Table 2 contains data for providers that did not return the HESA student record, HESA student alternative record or Individualised Learner Record in line with requirements for OfS registered providers in 2020-21. This normally includes providers that were not registered in 2020-21. Where available, this information will be taken from the financial tables submitted as part of the annual financial return. Otherwise this information will be taken from the financial tables submitted as part of the registration process.

Calculating 2020-21 student numbers: Technical document and rebuild instructions PDF, 407Kb

The algorithms applied to the 2020-21 HESA Student record, HESA Student Alternative record and Individualised Learner Record (ILR) data, in order to determine a provider’s higher education and further education student numbers.

Student numbers 2019-20

About the data

Table 1 contains data for providers that returned either the HESA student record, HESA student alternative record or Individualised Learner Record in line with requirements for OfS registered providers in 2019-20. This normally includes providers that were registered in 2019-20. This data has been calculated using our 2019-20 method for calculating student numbers.

Table 2 will contain data for providers that did not return the HESA student record, HESA student alternative record or Individualised Learner Record in line with requirements for OfS registered providers in 2019-20. This normally includes providers that were not registered in 2019-20.

Where available, this information will be taken from the financial tables submitted as part of the annual financial return. Otherwise this information will be taken from the financial tables submitted as part of the registration process.

This data is no longer being updated.

Calculating 2019-20 student numbers: Overview of method

The methodology we use to calculate student numbers for regulatory purposes.

Calculating 2019-20 student numbers: Technical document and rebuild instructions

The algorithms applied to the 2019-20 Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) student record, HESA student alternative record and Individualised Learner Record (ILR) data, in order to determine a provider’s higher education and further education student numbers.

Student numbers 2018-19 data

About the data

Table 1 contains data for providers that returned either the HESA student record, HESA alternative provider student record or Individualised Learner Record (ILR) in 2018-19. This data has been calculated using our 2018-19 method for calculating student numbers (available from the documentation section below).

Table 2 contains data for providers that did not return the HESA student record, HESA alternative provider student record or Individualised Learner Record (ILR) in 2018-19. This information is taken from the financial tables submitted as part of the registration process, or subsequently updated as part of annual monitoring of alternative providers 2018. In this case, the data reported is taken from the most recently audited year where the year end is before 1 January 2020.

This data is no longer being updated.

The methodology we use to calculate student numbers for regulatory purposes:

Calculating 2018-19 student numbers: Overview of method

The algorithms applied to HESA student record, HESA alternative provider student record and ILR data, to determine a provider’s higher education and further education student numbers:

Calculating 2018-19 student numbers: Technical document

This technical document was updated in September 2020 to correct the wording for the SNAYDAYSSTUDIED algorithm. This previously said that SNAYDAYSSTUDIED was the difference in the number of days between SNENDDATE and either 1 August 20Y1 or LEARNSTARTDATE, whichever is earlier. This has been corrected to say whichever is later.

• Student numbers 2017-18 data

About the data

Table 1 contains data for providers that returned either the HESA student record, HESA alternative provider student record or Individualised Learner Record (ILR) in 2017-18. This data has been calculated using our 2017-18 method for calculating student numbers (available from the documentation section below).

Table 2 contains data for providers that did not return the HESA student record, HESA alternative provider student record or Individualised Learner Record (ILR) in 2017-18. This information is taken from the financial tables submitted as part of the registration process, or subsequently updated as part of annual monitoring of alternative providers 2018. In this case, the data reported is taken from the most recently audited year where the year end is before 1 January 2019.

This data is no longer being updated. However due to an error, this data has been updated on 10 March 2021 to reflect an amendment for one provider.

• Calculating 2017-18 student numbers: overview of method
  This document was updated on 27 March 2019 to reflect the changes made to the student number algorithms, following feedback from higher education providers.
  
  
• Calculating 2017-18 student numbers: technical document
  This document was updated as follows:
  • January 2018: Updated to correct a field name in footnote 6.
  • 27 March 2019: Following feedback from higher education providers, we made changes to the algorithms to exclude those ILR records which have been closed to correct an incorrect LEARNPLANENDDATE, to exclude ILR records which relate to teaching provision rather than registered provision, and to use the PRIORLEARNFUNDADJ field to determine the proportion of a course that each ILR record represents. The previous version stated that the algorithms would apply to applications for transfer from the further education to the higher education sector received on or after 1 August 2019. This has been updated to 1 April 2019.
  • September 2020: Updated to correct the wording for the SNAYDAYSSTUDIED algorithm. This previously said that SNAYDAYSSTUDIED was the difference in the number of days between SNENDDATE and either 1 August 20Y1 or LEARNSTARTDATE, whichever is earlier. This has been corrected to say whichever is later.