Universities spent £6.88 billion employing academics in 2013-14, £1.64 billion of which went on those working in medicine, dentistry and health. This is about double the sum that is spent on academic staff in departments of engineering and technology, administration and business, and humanities, language-based studies and archaeology, according to Hesa’s report Finances of Higher Education Providers, 2013-14.
The report, published on 29 April, reveals that universities spent almost £1 billion on academic staff in social studies departments and those working in biological, mathematical and physical science.
Institutions spent less than half a billion, meanwhile, employing academics in design, creative and performing arts and education.
Universities spent the least money on academic staff working in agriculture, forestry and veterinary science, at just £80 million. The cost of architecture and planning academics was also low, at £146 million.
