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1997/98 HE Finance and Staff Figures Published

Resources of Higher Education Institutions 1997/98 is published today by HESA. The volume contains detailed statistical information about the institutional finances and academic staff of the UK HE sector.

Figures from this latest HESA publication show the total income of institutions amounted to £11.61 billion, an increase of 5.1% compared with the previous year. Institutions reported a 7.4% increase in income received from research grants and contracts (£1.7 billion in total), other operating income increased by 6.0% to £2.2 billion, while funding councils grants amounted to £4.5 billion showing an increase of 3.1%. Total expenditure in 1997/98 increased by 4.0% from the previous year to a total of £11.3 billion, with expenditure on interest payable and depreciation increasing by 6.7% and 5.4% respectively. Staff costs represented 57.2% of total expenditure, a slight % decrease from 1996/97.

The total number of academic staff in 1997/98 was 128,076. 86% of staff were full-time, with 30% of all staff employed only in research. 66% of staff were male, and as in the previous year the average age of full-time staff was 41.

Other key points

  • The sector reported a surplus of 2.4% of income (£282 million) compared with 1.4% (£150 million) in the previous year
  • Institutions received £399 million in Research Grants and Contracts from UK based charities
  • Funding council grants and academic fees and support grants made up 63% of total income
  • Fees received from part-time students increased by 6.7%
  • As in 1996/97, 83% of researchers were not wholly institutionally financed
  • There was an inflow of 5,323 staff to the sector, an increase of 12.6% from 1996/97
  • The proportion of staff of UK nationality known to come from non-white ethnic groups remained at 4%.

Notes for editors

  1. The Reference Volume Resources in Higher Education Institutions 1997/98 provides a statistical reference of academic staff and institutional finances within Higher Education in the UK for 1997/98.
  2. The Reference Volume is available from the Customer Services Team, HESA Services Ltd., 95 Promenade, Cheltenham, GL50 1HZ; telephone: 01242 255577. An electronic version on disk is also available. A list of other publications can be obtained from the Customer Services Team.
  3. HESA cannot accept responsibility for any inferences or conclusions derived from the data by third parties.
  4. Press Enquiries should be directed to Data Provision Officer at HESA, 95 Promenade, Cheltenham, GL50 1HZ; telephone: 01242 255577. Other enquiries about HESA data should be addressed to the Data Provision Team at the same address.

ENDS

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