Universities are to use potential earnings to advertise courses, in a bid to treat students more like paying customers.
As part of a “consumer revolution” within higher education, to be unveiled by Lord Mandelson later this week, courses will be subject to a food-labelling style system.
Potential students will have access to information including drop-out rates, estimated future earnings and the number of contact hours they can expect with tutors.
The government is also expected to recommend better business involvement in universities and changes to the admissions system aimed at breaking the middle-class domination of the top universities.
According to the Guardian the new emphasis on ensuring that students get value for money could be a sign that the government is planning an increase in tuition fees.
The National Union of Students (NU) has expressed concern that the system will warp universities’ priorities. NUS president Wes Streeting said that the proposed system was riddled with risk.
