The latest universities news, headlines and analysis from The NE Times.
Demand for early-deadline degrees including medicine and places at Oxford and Cambridge has hit a new high for 2026 entry, even as UCAS grapples with how artificial intelligence is changing the way students write their personal statements.
Universities in England can charge up to £9,790 a year from August, with maintenance loans climbing in line with inflation, as ministers confirm fees will now rise automatically each year for the first time in nearly a decade.
The Office for Students has identified two dozen providers at immediate risk of halting degree courses, with more than 5,000 redundancies announced across the sector and almost half of institutions projected to run a deficit this year.
Redundancies have doubled at research-intensive universities and hiring has slumped, prompting warnings that the financial squeeze risks permanently damaging the UK's standing in science.