Do you know these 16 facts about post-16 education?

1. What was the highest total remuneration for a head of a higher education institution in 2023/24?

£577,000 at University of Cambridge for Professor Deborah Prentice.

Source: Average v-c pay tops £340,000 as rises outpace rank-and-file, Times Higher Education, 6 February 2025.

2. What percentage of professors in the UK are Black? 

1% of UK professors are Black. There are 180 Black men and 70 Black women who were professors in 2023/24.

Source: Higher Education Staff statistics and data 2023/24, HESA, 28 January 2025. 

3. What is the salary gap between FE staff and those working elsewhere in the education sector?

In 2021, FE teachers were earning 23% less than those working elsewhere in the education sector.

Source: Further Education teachers paid 23 per cent less than peers across the education sector, says new report, NFER, 18 September 2024.

4. What percentage of college teachers leave the profession within three years? 

Around 50% of college teachers leave within three years, compared with around 25% of school teachers.

Source: What has happened to college teacher pay in England?, IFS, 30 March 2023.

5. What percentage of HE research staff are on insecure contracts?

66% of HE research staff are on insecure contracts.

Source: New report exposes 'gig-economy' reality of prestigious university research departments, UCU, 31 January 2024.

6. How many jobs in HE were likely lost in the 2024/25 academic year?

Over 10,000 jobs.

Source: University crisis will see over 10,000 staff lose their jobs, fears UCU, UCU, 4 March 2025.

7. How many constituencies in the UK contain universities and how many are held by the Labour Party? 

117 constituencies contain universities and 84 of them (72%) are held by Labour.

Source: UCU internal research, March 2025. Click here for a list of universities/UCU higher education branches and constituencies.

8. Which institution has a higher annual income: University of Liverpool or Liverpool Football Club? 

Total income (2023-24): University of Liverpool, £708.3m; Liverpool FC, £614m.

Sources: University of Liverpool financial information 2023/24, University of Liverpool; LFC announces financial results for the 2023-24 season, Liverpool Football Club, 28 February 2025.

9. How much does higher education contribute to the UK economy each year?

£71.3bn of gross value added, or £115.7bn economic output.

Source: The impact of the higher education sector on the UK economy, London Economics, August 2023.

10. How much did classroom-based adult education funding drop between 2010/11 and 2024/25? 

It dropped by 40%.

Source: Adult education and skills, IFS, 8 January 2025.

11. How many staff were employed in UK higher education in 2023/24?

514,055 staff.

Source: Higher Education Staff Statistics: UK, 2023/24, HESA, 28 January 2025.

12. What percentage of HE academic staff were on an hourly paid contract in 2023/24? 

14% (33,880).

Source: Higher Education Staff Statistics: UK, 2023/24, HESA, 28 January 2025.

13. How many more 16-18 year old students are estimated to enter the FE sector by 2028? 

60,000 more.

Source: Why 2025 is a critical year for FE funding, IFS, 9 January 2025.

14. What proportion of college workers say their financial situation is harming their mental health?

8 in 10 college workers say their financial situation is harming their mental health.

Source: New report exposes severe financial insecurity for college staff, UCU, 8 July 2022.

15. What percentage of higher education institutions expected a deficit for 2024/25? 

43% expected a deficit for 2024/25.

Source: Financial sustainability of higher education providers in England: 2025, OfS, 8 May 2025.

16. How many post-92 universities offer modern languages degrees? 

Only 10.

Source: 'Vicious cycle' of language degree cuts and declining enrolments, Times Higher Education, 31 July 2025.