Harper plans £9k tuition fees

Posted 18 April 2011

The UK’s leading specialist higher education institution in the rural, land and food sectors has today announced that it will be setting its fees for 2012 entry at £9,000 per year (subject to final approval by OFFA).

Harper Adams’s academic reputation in its field is second to none. For four years running it has achieved the accolade of ‘Best University College’ from The Sunday Times. Graduates of the institution are amongst the most likely to get a graduate level job and the institution has an employability rate of 96.5%, placing it 6th out of 156 institutions and the highest in its specialist sector.

This has been achieved by substantial and sustained investment in world-leading expertise and facilities to provide the best possible student experience. In the last 18 months alone Harper Adams has opened a new £1.3 million hall of residence, a £2.5m regional food centre and a £4.5 million student centre.  In addition to these top-class facilities, students have access to specialist resources on a 550ha multi-enterprise farm, together with high quality laboratories and engineering resources, and cutting edge research of direct relevance to industry.  

One of the most highly regarded features of a Harper Adams degree is its connection with industry through the placement year. This is a major contributor to the employability of its graduates, enabling them to leave university with real-world experience of employment and a ready-made CV.  The strong links with placement employers will be retained, but the placement year will not be subject to the £9,000 fee. Instead, a nominal charge will be made to cover student academic support during the year.

Principal David Llewellyn said: “A degree from Harper Adams University College represents an outstanding investment for all of our students at a time when the land-based sector is addressing the global challenges of food security, water security and climate change, and graduates in the sector are in particular demand. Future students can be assured that in choosing to study here they will be giving themselves a very solid foundation for a successful long-term career. They will be learning from some of the best teaching and research staff in this field and will have access to the best specialist land-based resources in the UK higher education sector.

“Harper Adams University College has not taken lightly the decision to place its fees at this level. Careful consideration has been given to the high cost of our subject base, but also to the impact of higher fees on students. With this in mind, a significant investment is to be made in targeted bursaries, scholarships and other financial support. Setting fees at this level is a reflection of the cost of maintaining the highest academic standards and quality of student experience, which underpin the value of a degree from Harper Adams.”