Bespoke data service - student data
Student Data
Higher education (HE) students are those students on courses for which the level of instruction is above that of level 3 of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) National Qualifications Framework (NQF) (e.g. courses at the level of Certificate of HE and above).
Data is collected on student enrolments at each publicly funded higher education institution in the United Kingdom. Data is available on students and qualifiers from the academic year 1994/95 onwards.
Commonly requested fields
A/AS-level/Highers points score and tariff points score
Age
Classification obtained by first degree qualifiers
Cost centre
Disability
Domicile
Ethnicity
Expected length of study programme
First year indicator
FTE - Student full-time equivalence
Gender
Highest qualification on entry
Level of study/Qualification aim
Location of institution
Major source of tuition fees
Mode of study
Subject/Subject area of study
Term-time accommodation
Populations
Student Populations
Standard counts of student instances are based on the HESA standard registration population which can be used in analyses from 1998/99 onwards
Prior to 2000/01 published analyses of student data are based on the HESA standard HE population. This population is based on 1 December of the relevant academic year so students who left prior or who commenced after this date are not included in the figures
Dormant students, incoming visiting and exchange students from overseas, postdoctoral students and students studying for the whole of their programme of study outside of the UK are all excluded from these populations. From 2007/08, writing-up and sabbatical students are also excluded from these populations.
Qualifications Population
HESA can also produce analyses of qualifiers using the HESA qualifications obtained population. This is a count of student enrolments associated with the award of an HE qualification (excluding HE credits) during the academic year.
Full student population definitions
Back to topA/AS-level/Highers points score and tariff points score
(for students with a relevant highest qualification on entry)
- From 2002/03 we are able to produce average tariff points scores analysis - please contact us for more details.
- For earlier years we can carry out analysis on A/AS-level/Highers points scores.
Age
Data on the age of a student is based on the age as at 31 August.
Data on the age on those obtaining qualifications is based on age as at 31 July.
We can provide a full age breakdown or grouped ages, for example:
- 17 and under, 18-20, 21-24, 25-29, 30 & over.
- 13 and under, 14-15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60 & over.
Classification of degree
(applicable to first degree qualifiiers only)
- First class honours, Upper second class honours, Lower second class honours, Third class honours/Pass, Unclassified.
Cost centre
Cost centre is a financial concept which is applicable to student, staff and finance datasets. Student cost centre data can only be supplied in terms of full-time equivalent (FTE) numbers.
Data can be broken down into the 40 separate academic cost centres, e.g. Biosciences, Mathematics. These can be aggregated into academic groups, which reflect similar academic and resource requirements, if less detail is required.
Full list of Academic Cost Centre Groups and Cost Centres
Back to list of fields
Disability
Disability data can only be provided as part of an aggregated data extract. Disability data cannot be released as part of any data supply which constitutes Personal Data as defined by the Data Protection Act 1998.
- No known disability, Known to have a disability.
- No known disability, Blind/partially sighted, Deaf/hearing impairment, Wheelchair user/mobility difficulties, Personal care support, Mental health difficulties, Unseen disability e.g. diabetes, epilepsy, asthma, multiple disabilities, autistic spectrum disorder, a specific learning disability, other.
Domicile
(the place of the student’s permanent/home address prior to the start of their studies)
Domicile data is supplied to HESA in the form of postcodes (UK domiciled students) or country codes. Postcodes are mapped to counties and unitary authorities and UK nations. Non-UK country codes are also supplied to HESA. As a result, domicile data can be supplied at the following levels of detail:
UK domiciles:
- By country in the UK.
- By region: North East, North West, Yorkshire and The Humber, East Midlands, West Midlands, East, London, South East, South West, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, .
- By county/unitary authority.
- By local authority district and ward.
Non-UK domiciles:
- By continent.
- By country.
Ethnicity
Ethnicity data can only be provided where it is necessary for the purpose of promotion or maintenance of Equal Opportunities.
(available only for UK domiciled students)
- White, Non-white.
- White, Black, Asian, Other.
- White, Black or Black British - Caribbean, Black or Black British - African, other Black background, Asian or Asian British - Indian, Asian or Asian British - Pakistani, Asian or Asian British - Bangladeshi, Chinese or other ethnic background - Chinese, other Asian background, Other (including mixed ethnicity).
Expected length of study programme
Provides an estimate of the total expected length of study for a student.
- Less than 1 year, Between 1 & 2 years, Between 2 & 3 years, Between 3 & 4 years, Between 4 & 5 years, 5 years & over.
First year indicator
First year students are those students who commenced their programme within the current academic year. In some cases the student's first year of study may be the second or subsequent year of a programme.
- First year/Other years.
Student full-time equivalence (FTE)
FTE represents the institution's best academic judgement of the full-time equivalence of the student during the HESA return period (academic/financial year 1 August - 31 July).
A full-time student (i.e. one studying for a minimum of 24 weeks) studying for the entire duration of an academic year will be 100.0.
Part-time students are returned as a proportion of an equivalent full-time student.
Please note that FTE data will be based on the HESA standard session population. This includes all HE enrolments active at any point during the academic year and excludes students on sabbatical from 2007/08 onwards
Gender
- Female, Male, Indeterminate
Highest qualification on entry
(note that this is not necessarily the highest qualification for entry to a course)
- Postgraduate; Graduate & equivalent; Other HE & professional qualifications; GCE A-level, SCE Highers and equivalent; Other qualifications; No qualifications required/held.
- Postgraduate (excluding PGCE); PGCE; First degree of UK institution; Other graduate & equivalent qualifications; HE credits; Other HE & professional qualifications; GCE A-level, SCE Highers & equivalent; Access courses; GCSE/O-level qualifications only, SCE O grades & Standard grades; Other qualifications; No formal qualification required/held.
More detailed data can be supplied if required.
Level of study/Qualification aim or level of qualification obtained
- Postgraduate, Undergraduate.
- Postgraduate research, Postgraduate taught, First degree, Foundation degree, Other undergraduate.
- Doctorate (research), Doctorate (taught), Masters (research), Masters (taught), Postgraduate Certificate in Education, Other postgraduate study (research), Other postgraduate study (taught), First degree, Professional Graduate Certificate in Education, Foundation degree, HND/DipHE, Other undergraduate.
Location of institution
- By country of institution within the UK, i.e. England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland.
- By region of institution: North East, North West, Yorkshire and the Humber, East Midlands, West Midlands, East, London, South East, South West, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland.
- By institution (view full list of institutions)
Major source of tuition fees
- No award or financial backing, UK LEA mandatory/discretionary award, Institutional waiver/award, Research councils & British Academy, Charities & international agencies, UK central govt/local, health, employment & agriculture authorities/bodies, EU sources, Other overseas sources, UK industry/commerce & student’s employer, Absent/no fees, Not known/other.
- Data can be broken down further into 47 tuition fee codes.
Mode of study
- Full-time, Part-time.
- Full-time, Sandwich, Part-time, Other.
Subject/Subject area of study
Data returned to HESA by HEIs maps courses to a subject classification system in order to produce comparable sector level data. In 2002/03 HESA introduced the JACS classification system which is currently in its second iteration.
Data for 2002/03-2006/07 is based on JACS 1.7 classification. From 2007/08 onwards data is based on JACS 2.0. Although the changes between 1.7 and 2.0 are not major it does mean the data is not directly comparable. A mapping document highlights where these changes occur.
Additionally, subject data is apportioned to account for students undertaking joint honours courses. Please contact us for more information on this.
JACS 2.0 subject data can be supplied at three levels:
- Principal subject level provides 161 subject categories.
- These can be aggregated into 19 broad subject areas.
- A more detailed 4 digit JACS subject level can also be supplied.
- Principal subject level provides 161 subject categories.
- These can be aggregated into 19 broad subject areas.
- A more detailed 4 digit JACS subject level can also be supplied.
From 1994/95 to 2001/02 a subject classification called HESACode was used. Subject data for these years will continue to be based upon HESACode. In HESA publication, this data was not apportioned. However, to aid comparabilty, we are able to apportione HESACode data if required. The following breakdowns are available:
- Subject of study can be provided as a full list of 161 subject codes. These relate to the principal subject of the students qualification aim.
- Subject of study can be aggregated into 19 broad subject areas.
Term-time accommodation
(available only for full-time and sandwich students)
- Institution maintained property, Parental/Guardian home, Own residence, Other rented accommodation, Private-sector halls , Other.
Prior to 2007/08, the categories 'Own residence', 'Other rented accommodation' & 'Private-sector halls' are grouped into a single 'Own home' category.
