The Higher Education Policy Institute was established in 2002 to shape the higher education policy debate through evidence. We promote research into and understanding of all aspects of higher education and disseminate the useful results of such research for the education and benefit of policy makers and the general public. We are UK-wide, independent and non-partisan, and we are funded by organisations and universities that wish to see a vibrant higher education debate as well as through our own events.
Latest reports
Boys will be boys: The educational underachievement of boys and young men
This report from UK think tank HEPI considers the consequences of boys and men's underachievement. The problem of educational achievement by boys and young men is a long-standing and big one that has been largely ignored by policymakers. This new HEPI report considers the consequences for individuals and society and proposes: adopting a ‘boy positive’...
The swing to science: retrospects and prospects
This report from UK think tank HEPI investigates the swing to science and away from the arts and humanities. In recent years, there has been a swing to science and away from the arts and humanities in the subjects students study at school and university. Why? A careful look at the data suggests policy and...
Student generative AI survey 2025
This report from UK think tank HEPI surveyed students on their use of generative artificial intelligence and recommends that institutions keep their assessment practices under constant review. Building on our 2024 AI Survey, HEPI surveyed 1,041 full-time undergraduate students through Savanta about their use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools. In 2025, we find that...
Five decades: One lens – a view from the rear stalls
This report from UK think tank HEPI tells the story of Edge Hill University and warns against the current crisis facing higher education. In a new paper written for the Higher Education Policy Institute (www.hepi.ac.uk), Five Decades: One Lens – A view from the rear stalls, the longest serving university leader in the country, Dr...
One step beyond: How the school and college curriculum in England can prepare people for higher education
This report from UK think tank HEPI looks at how the school and college curriculum in England can prepare people for higher education. The school and college curriculum plays a crucial role in preparing students for higher education, but does it always leave them well equipped? This report, which has been kindly sponsored by the...
‘There was nothing to do but take action’: The encampments protesting for Palestine and the response to them
This report from UK think tank HEPI investigates the UK university encampments protesting for Palestine and the response to them. This report investigates the establishment of pro-Palestinian protest encampments at 36 UK universities during the 2023/24 academic year, analysing their motivations, structure and impact and the responses to them by institutions and students’ unions. It...
How can UK universities improve their strategies for tackling integration challenges among Chinese students?
This report from UK think tank HEPI is an overview of key integration challenges facing Chinese students at UK higher education institutions (HEIs). This paper is an overview of key integration challenges facing Chinese students at UK higher education institutions (HEIs). It responds to recent admissions diversification strategies launched by UK institutions as well as...
Evolution of devolution: how higher education policy has diverged across the four nations of the UK
This report from UK think tank HEPI examines how higher education policy has diverged across the four nations of the United Kingdom—England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The report 'Evolution of Devolution' examines how higher education policy has diverged across the four nations of the United Kingdom—England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland—since the devolution of...
Aligning the lifelong learning entitlement and the growth and skills levy
This report from UK think tank HEPI provides a detailed analysis of these policies, addressing how they may be implemented to reflect the new Labour Government’s priorities. In 2024, Instructure convened a Commission of higher education and lifelong learning experts to assess emerging policies related to skills development, including the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) and...
Non-examinable content: Student access to exam scripts
This report from UK think tank HEPI examines student access to exam scripts. Restrictive access policies harm individual students and their institutions by reducing students’ opportunities to learn from past work and undermining confidence in the exam system. GCSE and A-Level exam boards are further ahead of universities in offering access to scripts and offer...
‘No magic bullet’: An investigation into the first-class degree gender awarding gap at Oxford and Cambridge and how to address it
This report from UK think tank HEPI investigates the first-class gender awarding gap at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge for undergraduate degrees. This HEPI report investigates the first-class gender awarding gap at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge for undergraduate degrees. While women represent the majority of students in the UK and in most...
Advancing translational research
This report from UK think tank HEPI explains the crucial role of translational research in bridging the gap between scientific discovery and real-world application. This HEPI Policy Note explains the crucial role of translational research in bridging the gap between scientific discovery and real-world application and underscores its potential to enhance interdisciplinary collaboration, foster innovation...
Student demand to 2035
This report from UK think tank HEPI looks at the various factors which may affect participation in higher education by home students in England up to 2035. This report from Bahram Bekhradnia, HEPI’s President, is the latest in a series of HEPI reports on future demand for higher education. It looks at the various factors...
HEPI Soft-Power Index 2024
This report from UK think tank HEPI publishes the results of its eighth annual Soft-Power Index. The Higher Education Policy Institute has published the results of its eighth annual Soft-Power Index. The Index measures the number of senior serving world leaders – defined as monarchs, presidents and prime ministers – educated at a higher level...
Undergraduate fees revisited
This report from UK think tank HEPI considers the recent history of student finance in England before proposing a 10-point plan for fixing some current weaknesses. Tim Leunig lays out the shortcomings of the current higher education funding model in England and proposes a 10-point action plan to fix the system for the benefit of...