2022 Student Accommodation

11

CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD

HIGHER EDUCATION INVESTMENT

Investment in academic facilities over the last five years has been substantial, with over £5bn invested across all disciplines. However, this investment does not necessarily correspond to increases in student numbers by subject type with Business and Social Sciences driving student number growth. These disciplines have grown by 45% and now account for more students than those in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM). Despite this, STEM is by far the largest area of investment, accounting for more spend than general teaching space, libraries, sports facilities combined. Within STEM the key driver of student number growth is Computer Science, although Life Sciences is the most invested in discipline, with nearly £1 billion spent between 2015 and 2020.

STUDENT NUMBER GROWTH BY BROAD SUBJECT AREA

STUDENT NUMBER GROWTH 2015/16 - 2020/21

66% 55% 39% 14% 4% 3% -7% -8%

SOCIAL SCIENCE

COMPUTER SCIENCE

BUSINESS

ENGINEERING

LIFE SCIENCES

"TRADITIONAL" SCIENCE

EDUCATION

ARTS & HUMANITIES

INVESTMENT AND STUDENT NUMBER GROWTH BY SUBJECT AREA

-10% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000

Campus investment

Student number growth

Overall

STEM

Arts & Humanities

Business & Social Sciences

2015-2020 Beyond 2020 Student Growth 15/16 - 20/21

Source: Cushman & Wakefield/HESA 2015/16 to 2020/21