What does 22-23’s HESA data tell us about online education in UK HE?

Last week saw the long-awaited final release of the 22-23 student data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). For those less acquainted with UK higher education data publication cycles, this release was actually due in January. The delay was caused by issues with HESA Data Futures, a new system intended to enable more frequent reporting of student data by higher education institutions (HEIs) than the current annual schedule.

It is an understatement to say that Data Futures has faced challenges, and because of these issues and the changes made, there are more caveats and less confidence in the data from this release. However, regardless of the year, this data should not be considered as completely accurate in reflecting UK HE; it is more indicative of that year’s position.

The final release offers an opportunity to review data on online distance learning for UK-domiciled students. Although this data relates to an academic year that’s no longer visible in the rear view mirror, it remains valuable, not least because it provides insight into a post-pandemic year. This is particularly important for online distance learning, given the spike in student numbers seen in 2020/21 for obvious reasons.

However, as HESA has changed the way data is reported, it does not align directly with the previous data, making comparisons with earlier years difficult. HESA has advised against time-series analysis. Nonetheless, it is hard not to attempt some form of comparison, particularly as part of the value of this data is to understand rates of growth or decline. So when I reference differences between previous years it is worth remembering that any prior data is not truly comparable.

How many online distance learning students were there in 22-23?

The 22-23 data recorded the following totals of UK-domiciled online distance learning students:

206,175 - Undergraduate students
110,370 - Postgraduate taught students

Although the postgraduate taught student market aligns most closely with online distance learning, there are more online undergraduate students. This is largely due to the Open University, which has a whopping 143,965 of these undergraduates and holds a 70% market share.

While a true comparison isn’t possible, the reported number of students in 22-23 exceeds the previous year, which saw 184,000 undergraduates and 91,000 postgraduate taught students. Even with the new data model, this likely indicates a continuation of the growth in the number of UK-domiciled online distance learning students observed over recent years.

UK versus international online student market

This data challenges some understandable assumptions about online distance learning opportunities for UK HEIs. There is a tendency among some HEIs to view online education as the key to accessing a vast international student market.

Of course, an international market for online education does exist, but the number of students studying online at UK HEIs from overseas are smaller and growth in those numbers has been pretty modest. This is something I highlighted in my analysis of 22-23’s data on international online students released earlier this year. Additionally, there are current and future challenges for UK HEIs regarding international online recruitment, such as the increasing implementation and evolution of global digital services taxes.

This recent data release underscores once again that the domestic market for online education is still the largest and has experienced the most significant growth in recent years.

This is perhaps best demonstrated among UK-domiciled postgraduate students, as the 22-23 HESA data release shows that 30% of UK-domiciled postgraduate students were studying via online distance learning in 22-23.

Top UK HEIs by online student numbers

The 22-23 data provides insight into the UK HEIs with the largest numbers of undergraduate and postgraduate online students. Below is a table of the top 25 UK HEIs by student numbers.

Unsurprisingly, the Open University dominates these figures, and no other HEI comes close to them in terms of student numbers.

Overall, this group of 25 HEIs does accurately represent key UK institutions in terms of online distance learning provision, but there are also some anomalies.

These anomalies include HEIs that may have a single programme with very high enrolment for various reasons, or HEIs that offer distance learning courses to exclusive groups, such as armed forces personnel. The few institutions in this category are not comparable to the majority on this list, who provide a range of programmes open to a broader range of applicants.

1. Largest UK HEIs by number of UK-domiciled distance learning students in 22/23

Table showing the top 25 UK higher education institutions by total number of undergraduate and postgraduate distance learning students. Open University ranks first with 154,800 students; Staffordshire University is second with 7,450 students.

Although there have been some changes to the 21-22 top 25 HEIs, these are relatively minimal, with only six HEIs dropping out of the list.

One notable development, however, is the increase in the number of HEIs in the top 25 with full OPM partnerships, including some new entrants. The most significant of these is the University of Wolverhampton, which reported over 2,000 more online distance students in 22-23 than in 21-22. This example demonstrates how OPM partnerships can, in some cases, provide a route to more rapid scaling up of online enrolments.

Other notable changes include the emergence of the apprenticeships company Multiverse on this list, with a significant number of what HESA classifies as “Other Undergraduate” students—those studying for qualifications that are broadly equivalent to or below first-degree level. The addition of Multiverse, alongside BPP University entering the top 25, increases the number of private HEIs included in this list.

This is certainly something to monitor, as whether it’s the impressive growth in the number of online students in private HEIs or through private partnerships with OPMs and other online education companies, it is clear that private involvement and investment are playing an increasingly important role in online education in UK HE.

What conclusions can we draw from 22-23s data?

It’s been a difficult year for data in UK higher education, and due to this, along with changes to the model, it is much harder to draw conclusions that involve comparisons with previous years.

However, 22-23’s data hints more strongly towards this being another year in which the number of UK-domiciled online students has increased. This would certainly align with the number of UK HEIs that entered the market prior to this period and those whose online education operations are maturing and developing.

There also appears to be growing correspondence between HEIs that are seriously and strategically invested in online distance education and student numbers. While it may seem strange to say that, as more HEIs grow their online student body, the presence of those that are not significantly invested in online education but appear due to specific reasons, relationships, or anomalies is diminishing.

For institutions considering their online education strategy and provision, it is worth noting that most providers on these lists are not those who have grown online programmes in disconnected clusters across their institutions, but rather those that are coordinated and serious about online education, either internally or through partnerships. While there are various insights to be gained from this data, the further maturing of this market and growing involvement of more UK HEIs in it might just be the most significant.