Financial information for students

Each year, the University publishes information about its finances, which includes audited financial statements as well as information for students.

This information is available to all staff and students and can be accessed on our webpages.

Income

The total University income for 2018/19 was £577.7m.

This includes income from student fees and education contacts which represents just over half of the University’s funds. Other income includes government grants for teaching and research, other research grants and contracts, consultancy, investments, donations and endowments as well as income from residences, catering and conferences.

You can view a breakdown of income sources here.

Expenditure

The University spends its income on the running of its academic departments, providing academic support services (such as the library and IT services), undertaking academic research, providing residences and catering for students, maintaining premises and facilities, running the University administration and central services, and running staff and student facilities (such as the sports centre and student support and counselling services).

The cost of academic departments and academic support services represents just under half of the University’s total expenditure. The remaining expenditure is essential in supporting the quality of the student experience.

During 2018/19 over £157m was invested in delivering improved infrastructure and facilities to ensure that research, learning, teaching space, student facilities, accommodation and catering facilities are fit for purpose and enhance the student experience.

In the last financial year we reported a deficit due to an increase in the pension provision which reflects the requirement to cover our share of the USS pension deficit.

You can view a breakdown of expenditure here.

The £9,250 home/EU student tuition fee

The £9,250 home/EU student tuition fee is used to support the whole student experience at Liverpool.

Almost half of the student tuition fee goes to support academic departments which includes staff as well as other expenditure such as equipment, IT and training.

Other expenditure from the student tuition fees goes towards bursaries, prizes and scholarships which support talented students and play a large part in widening access to higher education.

It also supports estate running costs. Our estate occupies more than 600 acres of land in and around Liverpool, and contains more than 200 buildings. The cost of running this sizeable estate includes energy, water and sewage as well as repairs and general maintenance.

Other services which are supported include:

  • IT, Library and Academic Services (includes subscriptions, learning resource centres and central computers as well as staff).
  • Running the University (expenditure for departments supporting examinations, fellowships, public lectures, concerts and exhibitions, maintaining an active and engaged alumni network and widening participation activity to enable those students who are under-represented in higher education to fulfil their potential).
  • Student Support (including funding for Liverpool Guild of Students, money for the hardship fund, student health and wellbeing services, hall wardens and our award-winning Careers and Employability Service).

You can view a breakdown of how the home/EU tuition fee is spent here.