Janice Lozano
The Russell Group is a group of 24 universities in the UK that are often perceived as being the country's best universities. The group was established in 1994 to represent its members' interests, principally to the government and Parliament. In 2012, the UK government published data on the number of students progressing to Russell Group universities, which revealed that 8% of students were attending Russell Group universities, with an additional 1% at Oxbridge. As of 2023, Russell Group universities teach one-quarter of the UK's undergraduate students and award 60% of all doctorates gained in the United Kingdom.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Percentage of all UK university income | 49.1% in 2013-14 |
| Percentage of UK university research grant and contract income | Over 75% in 2017 |
| Percentage of doctorates awarded in the UK | 60% |
| Percentage of world-leading (4*) research conducted in the UK | 65% |
| Percentage of UK undergraduate students taught | 25% |
| Percentage of students from disadvantaged areas | Increased by 1% since 2010 |
| Percentage of state school students | 98.3% at Queen's University Belfast |
| Percentage of state school students | 92.3% at Queen Mary University, London |
| Percentage of state school students | 61.5% at Durham University |
| Percentage of state school students | 64.5% at the University of Edinburgh |
| Percentage of state school students | 65.5% at the University of Exeter |
| Percentage of students at Russell Group universities in higher education | 8% |
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What You'll Learn
- % of students go to Russell Group universities after A-levels
- Russell Group universities are seen as the UK's best universities
- Durham has the lowest percentage of state school students
- % of research grant income goes to Russell Group members
- Russell Group universities teach a quarter of UK undergraduates
8% of students go to Russell Group universities after A-levels
The Russell Group is a group of 24 universities in the UK that was established in 1994. The group is headquartered in Cambridge and was formed to represent its members' interests, principally to the government and Parliament. The Russell Group universities are often regarded as the UK's best universities, although this is widely disputed. They are responsible for around half of the Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions of the UK university sector.
In the year after taking an A-level or equivalent at Key Stage 5, 64% of young people were in sustained education. Of these, 52% attended a higher education institution, with 1% at Oxbridge and 8% at other Russell Group universities. This means that 8% of students who were in sustained education after their A-levels went to a Russell Group university that was not Oxford or Cambridge.
Russell Group universities can be applied to through UCAS, which is the same central system used to apply to all UK universities. International students can study at Russell Group institutions in the UK, but admission requirements and application processes may differ from university to university and programme to programme. International students should carefully review the specific entry requirements and application procedures for each university and programme they are interested in.
While a degree from a Russell Group university can be seen as an extra level of prestige by employers, it is important to note that students will not be disadvantaged if they do not study at a Russell Group university. Instead, students should research which universities are good for their chosen course and choose a location that suits them.
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Russell Group universities are seen as the UK's best universities
The Russell Group universities are widely perceived as the best universities in the UK. The group was established in 1994 to represent its members' interests to the government and parliament. It is headquartered in Cambridge and currently has 24 members, 20 of which are from England, two from Scotland, and one each from Wales and Northern Ireland. Five of the English members are from Greater London.
Russell Group universities are considered the best for several reasons. Firstly, they receive a significant amount of funding. In 2013-14, they accounted for 49.1% of the income of the higher education sector in the UK, a rise from 44.7% in 2001-02. Their total income rose by 69.9% in real terms during this period, compared to a sector average of 54.4%. Russell Group universities are also seen as "particularly creditworthy", allowing them to borrow money at low-interest rates. In 2023/24, the total annual income for Russell Group members was £25.31 billion, with £5.67 billion coming from research grants and contracts.
Secondly, Russell Group universities are highly selective. All but two of the universities in the group are part of the Sutton Trust's group of 30 highly selective universities. The Sutton 13 group of the 13 most highly selective universities includes only one non-Russell Group member.
Thirdly, Russell Group universities perform well in research. As of 2017, Russell Group members received over three-quarters of all university research grant and contract income in the UK. They award 60% of all doctorates gained in the country. In the 2021 Research Excellence Framework, Russell Group universities accounted for 65% of all world-leading (4*) research conducted in the UK, and 91% of their research was judged to be world-leading or internationally excellent.
Finally, Russell Group universities have high standards for teaching excellence. In the 2023 Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework (TEF), of the 20 English Russell Group universities assessed, 7 hold gold awards (35%) and 13 silver (65%).
Despite being widely perceived as the best, there is some dispute to this claim. The group has also been criticised for its inconsistent and inadequate response to the need to reduce carbon emissions, as they are responsible for around half of the Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions of the UK university sector. Additionally, there are other universities that are not part of the Russell Group but are highly ranked according to other metrics, such as UCAS points and offer rates.
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Durham has the lowest percentage of state school students
In 2020, it was reported that Durham University had the lowest proportion of state-educated students in the UK, with just 61.6% of new students starting in the 2020/21 academic year having been educated at state schools. This is significantly lower than the UK average of 90.2%.
Durham has consistently taken on a disproportionately high number of privately educated students compared to other universities. While only around 7% of the UK population are privately educated, the number of privately educated students at Durham has averaged between 35-40% over the last few years.
In 2018, it was reported that Durham had the sixth-lowest state school intake of any UK university, with 62.9% of students in the 2016/17 academic year having been educated at state schools. This was still well below the national average of 90% that year.
Durham University has recognised the need for more students from lower socio-economic status groups and has committed to investing in outreach and student success activities. In response to criticism, a spokesperson for the university said that they focus more on increasing entrant numbers from postcodes with the lowest levels of participation in Higher Education, rather than setting targets for state school entrants.
Grey College and St Aidan's College are the Hill colleges with the lowest percentage of state-schooled students. In the 2023 intake, 35% of students at each college attended a state school. Across the past four years, Collingwood College has been the least state-educated Hill college, with an overall average of 36%.
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75% of research grant income goes to Russell Group members
The Russell Group is a group of 24 universities that are often perceived as being the UK's best universities. While this perception has been widely disputed, Russell Group universities are globally renowned for their contribution to research. In 2013-14, the Russell Group accounted for 49.1% of the income of the higher education sector in the UK, a figure that has been rising over the years. Russell Group universities are also seen as "particularly creditworthy", allowing them to borrow money at low-interest rates.
In 2017, Russell Group members received over three-quarters of all university research grant and contract income in the United Kingdom. They undertake around 23,000 contract research projects with businesses and others, and collaborative research projects worth over £1 billion a year – nearly twice as much as the rest of the sector combined. For every £1 of public research funding they secure, Russell Group universities deliver an average return of £9 to the UK economy.
Russell Group universities are also highly selective, with all but two being part of the Sutton Trust's group of 30 highly selective universities, the Sutton 30. The average UCAS tariff achieved by new undergraduate students entering Russell Group universities in 2021–22 was 185 points. The average offer rate for June deadline undergraduate applicants in 2024 was 63.3%.
In terms of student attendance, 8% of students were recorded as attending Russell Group universities in the academic year 2009 to 2010. In 2012, 52% of young people were recorded as being in higher education, with 8% attending Russell Group universities and 1% attending Oxbridge.
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Russell Group universities teach a quarter of UK undergraduates
The Russell Group is a network of UK universities that was established in 1994 to represent its members' interests, principally to the government and Parliament. The group is headquartered in Cambridge. The Russell Group universities are often perceived as being the UK's best universities, although this has been widely disputed. The group accounted for 49.1% of the income of the higher education sector in the UK in 2013–14, a significant increase from 44.7% in 2001–02. The total income of Russell Group universities rose by 69.9% in real terms over the same period, compared to a sector average of 54.4%. Russell Group universities are also considered "particularly creditworthy", allowing them to borrow money at low-interest rates.
The group's members receive over three-quarters of all university research grant and contract income in the UK. They award 60% of all doctorates gained in the UK and accounted for 65% of all world-leading (4*) research conducted in the UK in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework. In the 2023 Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework (TEF), of the 20 English Russell Group universities assessed, 7 hold gold awards (35%) and 13 silver (65%).
The Russell Group universities teach a quarter of the UK's undergraduate students. The application process for these universities is the same as for other UK universities, and applications can be made through the Ucas central system. International students can study at Russell Group institutions, but they may need to meet additional requirements, such as English language proficiency tests and demonstrating their ability to cover tuition and living expenses.
While Russell Group universities are seen as prestigious, it is important to note that a degree from one of these institutions is not a requirement for most jobs. Students are advised to research which universities are good for their chosen course and to choose a location that suits them, rather than focusing solely on attending a Russell Group university.
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Frequently asked questions
Russell Group universities teach one quarter of the UK's undergraduate students.
Russell Group universities are often perceived as being the UK's best universities. They are also seen as "particularly creditworthy" and can borrow money at low interest rates. Students at these universities have access to many research opportunities and top-quality facilities. A degree from a Russell Group university can also be seen as an extra level of prestige by employers.
Analysis by the Labour Party in 2018 found that the number of students from disadvantaged areas has only increased by one percentage point since 2010.
