This is an updated version of the earlier August 2016 report.

Dr Stephen Hunt (UCL Institute of Education), Professor Claire Callender (Birkbeck College and UCL Institute of Education) and Professor Gareth Parry (University of Sheffield) investigate the emergence and nature of private universities in six countries: the US, Australia, Germany, Poland, Japan and Chile.

Their report is based on desk research, conducted between March and April 2016, drawing on recent relevant and publicly available literature.

The research explores: the history, context and nature of market entry by private providers; the relationships and interactions between private and public providers and the growth of private provision; patterns of course provision and student participation; the role of governments and regulatory authorities; and situations and instances of market failure and their impact on student participation, retention and achievement.

While private higher education in each of the six countries has unique features, the report identifies some common characteristics and discusses some of the lessons from these six countries’ experiences for the UK.