"More students, less money per head": Study shows European universities face common funding crisis

A study from the Policy Institute at King's College London shows that, while the European higher education sector exhibits a variety of financing approaches, universities are largely facing similar difficulties, notably an increase in student numbers while per-capita funding decreases.

The report, published on 11/05/2026, is titled 'European Higher Education in the 2020s: where are we heading?'. It brings together essays from leading higher education figures across England, France, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland who identify a striking set of common challenges:

• Falling per-student funding: Spending per student has fallen. Universities have responded by increasing class sizes, cutting teaching hours and relying more heavily on short-term and part-time academic staff, with measurable effects on the quality of the student experience.
• The political taboo on fees: Except in England, every country studied maintains near-free university education for domestic students, which leaves universities struggling to raise the income needed to match rising costs.
• Global competition: The…