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4 Feb 2025

Modern universities a vital part of the higher education landscape, says MillionPlus

Modern universities are a vital part of the higher education landscape and bring enormous benefits nationally and in their local regions, says MillionPlus today (4 February).

Marking the release of MillionPlus’s updated annual Facts and Stats publication, Professor Graham Baldwin, Chair of MillionPlus and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Central Lancashire, said:

“This freshly updated publication, now in its sixth edition, is a powerful and timely reminder of just some of the good modern universities do nationally and, vitally, in their local regions.

“Boosting growth and local economies; delivering exceptional research, with almost 60% judged world-leading; upskilling and reskilling; training three quarters of the next generation of nurses and more than two-thirds of new teachers; broadening minds and horizons by teaching 67% of students from deprived backgrounds and 80% of mature learners; pioneering innovative courses and diverse modes of provision; quite simply, changing lives. Our universities are one of the jewels in Britain’s crown and will, if harnessed and given room to breathe, be central to the Government’s missions around creating economic growth, supercharging skills and much more.”

ENDS

Notes to editors

  1. For further information or to arrange an interview, please contact Dan Blows on 020 3927 2916 or email press@millionplus.ac.uk
  2. Modern universities: facts and stats is available here
  3. MillionPlus is the Association for Modern Universities in the UK, and the voice of 21st century higher education. We champion, promote and raise awareness of the essential role and impact of modern universities in the UK’s world-leading higher education sector. More information can be found at www.millionplus.ac.uk
  4. What are modern universities? Modern universities are long established centres of higher education in their communities with roots that stretch back decades, if not centuries. Many gained university title following legislation agreed by parliament in 1992. They make up almost half of the UK university sector with over a million students studying at modern universities every year.