Benefits to the United Kingdom

Russell Group universities play a major role in the intellectual, cultural and economic life of the UK and have an international reputation for the high quality of their research and teaching. In an increasingly global higher education market, they attract the very best academics and students from around the world, as well as investment from multinational, research intensive businesses.

Researchers and scholars at Russell Group universities are furthering our understanding of the world, pursuing new knowledge for its own sake, and are also helping to find solutions to global challenges.

See our report on the Economic impact of research conducted in Russell Group universities. 

Through their work on widening participation and continuing education Russell Group universities play a major role in raising aspirations and awareness and in transmitting the values of a common culture across all segments of society. Through their libraries, museums and galleries they provide vital elements in the cultural life of our nation and its regions.

In science and engineering Russell Group universities represent strength in depth both in research and teaching – they produce around 30% of the UK’s STEM graduates (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and almost 80% of doctors and dentists. Similarly, through their research and teaching in the humanities and the social sciences, they help to raise the quality of life and to solve major economic social and cultural problems. They play an essential role in training professionals to serve society – such as architects, health professionals, civil servants, lawyers, town planners, teachers and social workers – and are very often one of the larger employers of staff in their cities and regions, employment which is diverse but still heavily concentrated on professional and high value roles.

Russell Group Universities actively contribute to their local communities and economies, yet also influence and achieve impact on a truly global scale. By virtue of their size and the quality of their research and teaching, Russell Group universities create and catalyse a diverse range of economic activity which has a major impact on the economy of the UK. This makes them a prominent UK and international industry in their own right:

• They have a total economic output £25.3 billion per annum
• They are responsible for supporting 237,000 jobs UK-wide
• They are a major UK export industry, with overseas earnings of £3 billion per annum

To continue to compete effectively, our universities need to be able to maintain and to develop their teaching and research capabilities and continue to build facilities of appropriate scale. This requires increased investment from a range of sources but the benefits to the UK are, in return, very considerable:-

Economic Impact of Russell Group research