Students in England ‘pay more money for less tuition’ than those in Scotland, report reveals
- Higher Education Policy Institute used evidence from some 60,000 undergrads
- Students in England receive less tuition than Scots where higher education free
- English students also bottom in how satisfied with amount of timetabled work
Students in England paying thousands to attend university receive less tuition than their counterparts in Scotland where higher education is free, a report reveals.
Despite paying up to £9,250 a year, those studying south of the border ‘have fewer scheduled hours and attend for less time’ than Scots working towards degrees they do not have to pay for.
The Higher Education Policy Institute used evidence from nearly 60,000 undergraduates across the UK to assess differences in higher education between the four home nations.
Students in England paying thousands to attend university receive less tuition than their counterparts in Scotland where higher education is free, a report reveals
It found that English students are ‘paying more for less’, getting fewer hours of seminars and lectures per week than students in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
In total, students in England have 13.4 hours a week, compared to 14 in Scotland, 14.3 in Wales and 14.6 in Northern Ireland.
Across a three-year course, the shortfall is magnified dramatically.
English students also come bottom regarding how satisfied they are with the amount of timetabled work, with just 64 per cent reporting they are happy.
This is less than the 67 per cent in Wales, 68 per cent in Scotland, and 71 per cent in Northern Ireland who reported feeling satisfied.
Report author Nick Hillman said the data showed that ‘English students in England may be paying more for less or, given the different subject mix, more for the same.’
English students also came last when asked if they would choose the same course and university again, with 64 per cent agreeing, compared to 66 per cent in Scotland, 67 per cent in Wales and 70 per cent in Northern Ireland.
English students also come bottom regarding how satisfied they are with the amount of timetabled work, with just 64 per cent reporting they are happy
The report said: ‘It was our original expectation that students in England would be likely to work at least as hard, if not a little harder… as England was the only part of the UK to have high tuition fees for the whole period covered by the data and high fees are sometimes thought to mean better funded institutions and more demanding students.
‘English students in England do more independent study than others but this is not enough to make up the entire shortfall in other working hours once work related to their course is included.’