The quest for efficiency in higher education in England: lessons learned for developed economies

Abstract Over recent decades, universities in England have transitioned from providing higher education (HE) for the elite to HE for the masses. Funding mechanisms have changed, cost‐sharing has shifted from public to private sources, and efficiency and productivity have been emphasized. Three excellence frameworks relating to research, teaching, and knowledge exchange have been introduced to assess performance. In this paper, we explore the systems of performance measurement and funding implemented in English HE and critically appraise these against the recommendations from the relevant literature. We conclude that these frameworks, by separately assessing performance in the three missions, inadequately account for synergies between activities, thereby ignoring the civic nature of universities and possibilities for economies of scale and scope. We conclude by highlighting some emerging areas for future research. While the focus of the paper is English HE, the themes and findings are relevant to all HE sectors around the world.