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Written question asked by Lord Hain (Labour) on Tuesday, 16 June 2026, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 30 June 2026. It was answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern (Labour) on Wednesday, 1 July 2026 on behalf of the Department for Education.

Universities: Debts

Question

To ask His Majesty's Government what are the twenty universities with the largest financial deficits.

Answer

The Office for Students (OfS), the independent regulator of higher education in England, is responsible for monitoring the sector’s financial sustainability. Its most recent report on the sector’s financial health, published in May 2026, found that 35.8 per cent of providers recorded a deficit in 2024/25, an improvement on earlier forecasts of 44.2 per cent, however, deficits alone do not provide a complete picture of financial health

Key financial indicators are also published through the Higher Education Statistics Agency and in providers’ own financial statements

The department does not hold information on the twenty universities with the largest deficits. While the OfS collects provider-level data, it does not routinely rank institutions.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL1002
Session
2026-27
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Debts Universities
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk