A new report by the Higher Education Policy Institute has revealed that 300,000 more university places are needed in England by 2030 to meet demand.
The report, titled ‘Demand for Higher Education to 2030’, also claims that Brexit is expected to reduce the demand for university places by around 56,000.
Diana Beech, HEPI Director of Policy and Advocacy and co-author of the report, said: “Demand for higher education will continue growing fast over the coming decade as the number of qualified young people increases. At a time of unprecedented uncertainty, this is a good news story for universities.
“But the scale of transformation that will be needed is substantial. Delivering 300,000 extra student places in a short period of time without reducing quality is a big ask. If existing universities are to reap the benefits, they will need to adapt.
“Moreover, if we want to fix big social inequalities, like the gender gap in access to higher education, we will need to offer even more extra places – up to half a million in total,” she said.
In a statement published by The Independent, a Department for Education spokesperson said that ‘more people are going to university than ever before’, which includes ‘record numbers of 18-year-olds from disadvantaged backgrounds’ entering full-time courses.
“We want anyone with the talent and potential to have opportunity to go to university, which is why we lifted the cap on student numbers and reduced barriers that people face.
“We are conducting a major review of post-18 education to ensure that the system provides genuine choice for young people, and students and taxpayers are getting value for money,” they said.