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Funding UK Higher Education: From Elitism to Mass Market
How does the UK's commitment to HE compare internationally?
| Country | % GDP spent on HE | HE students as % of 18-34 yr olds |
| United States | 2.7 | 16.2 |
| Switzerland | 1.1 | 8.0 |
| Canada | 2.0 | 16.9 |
| Sweden | 1.7 | 9.9 |
| Australia | 1.7 | 14.9 |
| Japan | 1.1 | N/A |
| Norway | 1.4 | 13.4 |
| Austria | 1.5 | 9.7 |
| Netherlands | 1.2 | 10.7 |
| Germany | 1.1 | 9.4 |
| New Zealand | N/A | 12.6 |
| UK | 1.0 | 9.4 |
| France | 1.2 | 13.9 |
| Korea | 2.5 | 13.7 |
Source: OECD Education at a Glance 2003
This table shows that the UK performs fairly badly on HE participation rates and levels of national income devoted to higher education, when compared to many of our international competitors.
Imagine a time when this was the zenith of young women's ambitions. é iStock.com
How has the UK's participation rate in higher education changed over the years?
| Year | Participation rate % | Description of system |
| 1960 | 5 | Elite |
| Late 1980s | 14 | Medium |
| 2000 | 30 | Mass |
The changes affecting the UK's HE system in the past 40 years can be seen in this table. Where once only the very top echelon of students attended university, today higher education appears to be a realistic option for many sixth form students. A mass system of HE means that universities are put under pressure to accommodate as well as educate many more students each year. It also means that students will be drawn from different socio-economic groups than was previously the case.