University course closures leave students unable to study many SHAPE subjects close to home - report

The British Academy is urging the government, universities and regulators to work together as new analysis shows that large swathes of the UK are becoming ‘cold spots’ for humanities, social sciences and arts (SHAPE) degrees.

A new report, ‘Cold spots: Mapping inequality in SHAPE provision in UK higher education’ reveals that thousands of students across the country don’t have access to many humanities, social sciences or arts degrees (SHAPE) in their region – the consequence of sweeping cuts to degree courses caused by financial difficulties facing higher education.

More students than ever are studying close to home – 56% of UK undergraduates in 2023/24 – and disadvantaged students are more likely than their peers to stay local. This means that the disappearance of SHAPE degrees in whole regions risks deepening opportunity inequalities for young people.

The British Academy’s report highlights that parts of the North, South West and East of England, as well as large areas of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, are particularly affected by cold spots in higher education. Modern Foreign Languages degrees are the most starkly affected - student numbers have nearly halved since 2011. Linguistics, Anthropology and Classics show similar declines, and subjects like English, History and Drama could follow if trends continue.

With the government expected to publish its plans for post-16 education in the coming weeks, the British Academy recommends:

• Higher education regulators should monitor subject provision through an ‘at-risk’ regional subject register and funding for ‘at risk’ subjects.
• Universities in each UK nation and region should work together to find opportunities for collaboration in teaching, research and services.
• The government should issue clear guidance on how far higher education providers can collaborate without breaching competition law.

The Academy says these cold spots are emerging at a time when the knowledge and skills developed by studying SHAPE subjects are in strong demand in the labour market and society. The Academy warns that without urgent intervention, regional access to SHAPE could shrink further, undermining the UK’s reputation for world-leading SHAPE research and weakening the skills needed to tackle major social and economic challenges.

Professor Margot Finn FBA, Vice President for Research and Higher Education Policy at the British Academy, said: “With the government’s Post-16 White Paper imminent, we need to call out the fact that what is taught at our universities is dictated by short-term financial concerns and competition for students – at the expense of safeguarding subjects for future generations. After more than ten years of a market experiment in higher education, growing subject ‘cold spots’ are a symptom of universities in financial distress, and proof that how we fund, regulate and run UK higher education isn’t working to protect students, our world-leading research, or our universities’ ability to serve their local communities. That’s why the British Academy is calling for an urgent review of higher education funding, a commitment to monitoring regional subject health and for the government to incentivise collaboration between universities.”

Hetan Shah, Chief Executive of the British Academy, said: “The threats to social sciences and humanities are symptoms of wider problems. Financial pressures in higher education have led to cuts, contractions and closures, and our subjects are acting as bellwether for all. If we continue down this road, the consequences are clear: Less choice and opportunity for students and the loss of critical knowledge, insight and ideas. The humanities and social sciences combat misinformation, global disorder and vaccine hesitancy; support childhood learning, climate adaption behaviours, and good governance; and underpin cultural understanding, community cohesion and the social contract. We cannot afford to let them slip away.”

For further information contact the Press Office on [email protected]  / 07500 010 432.