Is growth outpacing quality? The changing shape of franchised higher education
Publication date: 26 May 2026
QAA's new ‘state of the nation’ series has a singular ambition: to move the debate beyond the myths, headlines and binaries towards an evidence-based understanding of what is actually happening across the tertiary sector – and what this means for protecting quality and standards.
We’re looking at four key priority areas:
- domestic franchising
- artificial intelligence
- what quality costs
- how quality is measured.
These pieces bring together data, analysis and sector engagement to highlight emerging trends, challenges and opportunities and explore how policy, regulation and institutional practice can respond in a targeted, proportionate and effective way.
Is growth outpacing quality? The changing shape of franchised higher education
The debate on franchising is no longer new – but it is only recently that the data has enabled us to look beyond the headlines and identify the areas of greatest risk.
This data, alongside intelligence gathered through QAA’s review and sector engagement activity, demonstrate that franchising is not inherently risky; rapid, unmanaged growth is.
This is the first comprehensive analysis of the Office for Students’ dataset, enabling findings to be substantiated with quantitative data for the first time.
Key charts from the report
All charts featured in the report are available to browse below. These are interactive – hover over elements in the charts to view more information about specific data points. Click on the double-headed diagonal arrow in the bottom-right corner to go into full-screen mode and view larger versions of the charts.
All data visualisations included in the report are available to download individually for use in presentations, briefings and internal discussions to support sharing insights and evidence. Download links are available alongside the caption for each chart within the report.
We've featured three of the key charts below which you can download:
Click on the chart to download the image.
Outcomes for franchised students and those taught directly
Student characteristics at the nine largest franchising providers
Distribution of partnership outcomes by change in student numbers
Further support for QAA members
Policy Matters: Meeting OfS Condition E10
This resource is the first in a new series for QAA members in England to support you in meeting your regulatory requirements. In this guidance, we focus specifically on the need for providers to develop a subcontracting information source, and the considerations that a provider will need to give to its preparation and publication.
Case study: Buckinghamshire New University’s approach to subcontractual arrangements
This case study outlines how Buckinghamshire New University has undertaken a fundamental programme of reform to strengthen how it oversees, governs and supports its subcontractual partnerships to develop a more robust, risk‑based framework that reinforces academic quality, regulatory compliance and accountability across the partnership portfolio.