| ACU | Association of Commonwealth Universities |
| AGCAS | Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services |
| AHRC | Arts and Humanities Research Council |
| AHUA | Association of Heads of University Administrations |
| AIRS | Accelerated and Intensive Routes in Higher Education |
| ALC | Administrative Library and Computing |
| AoC | Association of Colleges |
| ASCII | American Standard Code for Information Interchange |
| AUA | Association of University Administrators |
| AUDE | Association of University Directors of Estates |
| BBSRC | Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council |
| BTEC | Business and Technician Education Council |
| BUFDG | British Universities Finance Directors Group |
| CASCOT | Computer Assisted Coding Tool |
| CAT | Credit Accumulation Transfer |
| CNAA | Council for National Academic Awards |
| CSYS | Certificate of Sixth Year Studies |
| CVE | Continuing Vocational Education |
| CVU | Council of Validating Universities |
| DARDNI | Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Northern Ireland |
| DELNI | Department for Employment and Learning for Northern Ireland |
| DENI | Department of Education for Northern Ireland |
| DfES | Department for Education and Skills (in 2007 was split into the DIUS and DCSF) |
| DIUS | Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills |
| DCSF | Department for Children, Schools and Families |
| DH | Department of Health |
| EC | European Community (or European Commission depending on context) |
| EDI | Electronic Data Interchange |
| EGAS | Education Grants Advisory Service |
| EPSRC | Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council |
| ERASMUS | European Community Action Scheme for the Mobility of Univ. Students |
| ERDF | European Regional Development Fund |
| ESF | European Social Fund |
| ESRC | Economic and Social Research Council |
| FE | Further Education |
| FEC | Further Education College(s) |
| FEDA | Further Educuation Development Agency |
| FES | Further Education Statistics |
| FTE | Full Time Equivalent(s) |
| GCE | General Certificate of Education |
| GCSE | General Certificate of Secondary Education |
| GEST | Grants for Education Support and Training |
| GNVQ | General National Vocational Qualification |
| GRIST | Grant Related In-Service Training |
| GSVQ | General Scottish Vocational Qualification |
| GTTR | Graduate Teacher Training Registry |
| HE | Higher Education |
| HECSU | Higher Education Careers Service Unit |
| HEFCE | Higher Education Funding Council for England |
| HEFCW | Higher Education Funding Council for Wales |
| HEI | Higher Education Institution(s) |
| HEMS | Higher Education Management Statistics |
| HEPPI | Higher Education Pay and Price Index |
| HERO | Higher Education and Research Opportunities in the UK |
| HESA | Higher Education Statistics Agency |
| HESACODE | HESA Classification Of Disciplines in Education |
| HESES | Higher Education Students Early Statistics Survey |
| HITECC | Higher Education Introductory Technology & Engineering Conversion Courses |
| HNC | Higher National Certificate |
| HND | Higher National Diploma |
| HSCIC | Health and Social Care Information Centre |
| ILR | Individual Learner Record |
| INSET | In-Service Education of Teachers |
| ISO | International Standards Organisation |
| ITT | Initial Teacher Training |
| JACS | Joint Academic Coding System |
| JANET | Joint Academic Network |
| JISC | Joint Information Services Committee |
| JYA | Junior Year Abroad |
| LEA | Local Education Authority |
| LEONARDO | European Commission action programme in the sphere of vocational training |
| LINGUA | Scheme to improve students language skills |
| LSC | The Learning and Skills Council |
| LSDA | Learning and Skills and Development Agency |
| MRC | Medical Research Council |
| NAW | National Assembly for Wales |
| NCIHE | National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education |
| NERC | Natural Environmental Research Council |
| NHS | National Health Service |
| NI | Northern Ireland |
| NS-SEC | National Statistics Socio-Economic Classification |
| NVQ | National Vocational Qualification |
| OECD | Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development |
| ONC | Ordinary National Certificate |
| OND | Ordinary National Diploma |
| ONS | Office for National Statistics |
| ORSAS | Overseas Research Students Awards Scheme |
| PCT | Primary Care Trust |
| PFI | Private Finance Initiative |
| PGCE | Postgraduate Certificate in Education |
| PI | Performance Indicator(s) |
| PICKUP | Professional Industrial & Commercial up-dating Programme |
| PPARC | Particle Physics & Astronomy Research Council - now, with the Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils (CCLRC), part of the Science and Technology Facilities Council |
| QAA | Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education |
| QCA | Qualifications and Curriculum Authority |
| QSL | Qualified School Leaver |
| QTS | Qualified Teacher Status |
| RAE | Research Assessment Exercise |
| SAAS | Student Awards Agency for Scotland |
| SCE | Scottish Certificate of Education |
| SCOP | Standing Conference of Principals (now known as GuildHE) |
| SCOTCAT | Scottish Credit Accumulation & Transfer Scheme |
| SEB | Scottish Examination Board |
| SEERAD | Scottish Executive (Scottish Government) Environment & Rural Affairs Department |
| SEETLLD | Scottish Executive (Scottish Government) Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department |
| SFC | Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council |
| SHA | Strategic Health Authority |
| SIC | Standard Industrial Classification |
| SLDD | Students with Learning Difficulties or Disabilities |
| SOC1990 | Standard Occupational Classification 1990 |
| SOC2000 | Standard Occupational Classification 2000 |
| SOCRATES | European Commission action programme in the sphere of school and higher education in the European Community. |
| SQA | Scottish Qualifications Authority |
| SRHE | Society for Research into Higher Education |
| SROC | Student Record Officers' Conference |
| SSR | Student Staff Ratio |
| SVQ | Scottish Vocational Qualification |
| SWAP | Scottish Wider Access Programme |
| TDA | Training and Development Agency for Schools |
| TEMPUS | Trans-European Mobility Programme for University Studies |
| UACE | Universities Association for Continuing Education |
| UAP | University Authorities Panel |
| UCAS | Universities & Colleges Admissions Service |
| UCEA | The Universities and Colleges Employers Association |
| UFI | University for Industry |
| UK NARIC | The National Academic Recognition Information Centre for the United Kingdom |
| UK | United Kingdom |
| USR | Universities Statistical Record |
| USS | Universities Superannuation Scheme |
| VCE | Vocational Certificate in Education |
| WBL | Work Based Learning |
| WAG-DCELLS | Welsh Assembly Government's Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills |
| WDC | Workforce Development Confederation |