This page provides links to external resources with information on the present state of the historical discipline and profession in UK higher education. The Society updates this page as new data are released. Many of the external providers also offer data for previous years, enabling the mapping of trends for at least the past decade.
For further resources and publications that may be of interest, see also the Society’s Toolkit for Historians.
We welcome further suggestions for data sources relating to the discipline and profession. To let us know, please contact the Society’s Academic Director: philip.carter@royalhistsoc.org.
1. History Academic Staff in UK Higher Education
The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects, assures and disseminates data about UK higher education in three main areas: staff, students and outcomes after graduation. HESA data on academic staff relate to a range of criteria, including: profile, nationality, gender, professional activity, contractual status, grade, allocation by HEI, and salary. These criteria are not searchable by a single discipline (e.g. History), though some are searchable within HESA’s broader category of ‘Humanities and language based studies’, which includes History.
How many people are teaching History in UK Higher Education? HESA does provide annual data on the number of specifically History academic staff working in UK Higher Education, for which their latest release (covering 2021-22) was published in February 2023. This release records 3,720 History staff within ‘Humanities and language based studies’. Data from 2014 also allows for mapping of trends in staff numbers.
Who is teaching History in UK Higher Education? There is no current listing of ‘Teachers of History in UK Higher Education’ following the ending, in 2016, of an annual project to record this information by the Institute of Historical Research. Legacy data from this project are available in print though not online.
The Royal Historical Society offers a listing of its membership (currently to July 2023), which includes many academic historians, working at HEIs, in the UK (and overseas), as well as historians active in other sectors.
2. History Students in UK Higher Education
HESA provides data on the number of students currently in UK Higher Education, and of entrants to subject areas per year. HESA reporting includes History within the broader category of ‘Historical, philosophical and religious studies’, with the most recent release, covering 2021-22, published in January 2023.
The January 2023 release offers a comparison of student numbers, by degree type, from 2019-20.
Data for student numbers in ‘Historical, philosophical and religious studies’ may also be segmented by gender; domicile of student (within UK, and EU / non-EU); and Higher Education Institution. For listings, see here.
Previous HESA updates provide data charting student numbers for ‘Historical, philosophical and religious studies’ between 2013-14 and 2021-22. The 2021-22 figure of 83,085 students at all degree levels is a 7.2% decline on that for 2013-14. This is compared with a 21% increase in student numbers (2013-14 to 2021-22) for all humanities subjects and a 24% increase in student numbers for all subjects, including STEM.
3. Graduate Qualifications in History
HESA provides data on annual numbers of degrees awarded in ‘Historical, philosophical and religious studies’ by degree type. These include first degree, all undergraduate degrees, PGR taught and PGR research degrees. The latest release, covering 2021-22, was published in January 2023.
This records the award in ‘Historical, philosophical and religious studies’ (2021-22) of:
- 16,260 first degrees
- 18,140 all undergraduate degrees
- 7,575 PGR taught degrees
- 1,630 PGR research degrees
Data from 2019-20 are available for comparison. Figures for 2021-22 (compared with those for 2029-20) show a 6.7% decline for first degree; 4% decline for all undergraduate; 9.6% increase for PGR taught; and a 6% decline for PGR research.
PhDs awarded in History: the British Library’s EThOS (e-Theses Online Service) provides a rolling listing of recently completed PhD theses from UK universities, including those in historical studies. A useful starting search is by date of completion and ‘History’ as a keyword, but many other search categories are available. Listings provide thesis abstracts and links to institutional repositories and full texts, where made available.
Listings of History PhDs were previously gathered by the Institute of Historical Research up to 2014. This work is now available (for 1970-2014) on the IHR’s British History Online. Where a match is possible, BHO records link to EThOS pages for an individual thesis.
4. Outcomes for History Students on Graduation
HESA provides data on outcomes for students in UK HE, including those graduating from undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in ‘Historical, philosophical and religious studies’.
Data for those graduating in 2020-21 are the most recently available, published in May 2023, and based on those responding to the Graduate Outcomes survey (c.55% of the total eligible). Figures for 2020-21 show for all History graduates:
- 47% in full-time employment (compared to 43% in 2019-20)
- 11% in part-time employment (against 12% in 2019-20)
- 12% in employment and study (against 13% in 2019-20)
- 13% in full-time study (against 17% in 2019-20)
- 6% to be unemployed (against 8% in 2019-20)
For the US, the American Historical Association provides a survey of professional outcomes for History PhD graduates. The latest release (October 2022) charts outcomes for History PhDs awarded up to 2017.
5. History Students at GSCE, A-Level and Scottish Highers
Introduced in January 2023, the British Academy’s SHAPE Indicators survey offers annual statistics on the number of students taking History at GCSE and A-Level (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) and Level 5, Highers and Advanced Highers (Scotland). The latest update provides data between 2012 and 2023 for History. The BA’s Indicators survey is one representation of data published annually by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) and the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA). The JCQ provides separate listings for student numbers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
5.1. A-Levels
After a demographic dip between 2019 and 2020 for all subjects, the number of students taking History at A-Level has risen in 2023 to 48,378 (a 7.75% increase on 2020). This is against an increase (2020-23) of 11.5% for all A-Level subjects in the arts, humanities and social sciences (AHSS), and of 11.0% for all A-Level subjects.
The following chart plots History enrolments (red) against seven other arts, humanities and social science A-Levels with enrolments higher than 35,000 students in 2023. (Figures for English Literature begin in 2017 due to curriculum changes.)
For more on enrolments in History A-Level, following the 2023 results, see the Society’s post: Student Numbers for History A-Levels and Scottish Highers, 2023 (August 2023).
5.2 Scottish Highers
In 2023, the number of students taking History Highers rose 2.53% on 2022 (compared with a 2.44% increase for Highers in all subjects in the AHSS, and a 1.91% increase for all Highers subjects). The number of students taking History Highers in 2023 is a 1.99% increase on 2020. In the same timeframe, Highers entries in all AHSS subjects rose by 2.9%. Highers entries for all subjects rose by 3.6% between 2020 and 2023.
For more on enrolments in History Highers, following the 2023 results, see the Society’s post: Student Numbers for History A-Levels and Scottish Highers, 2023 (August 2023).
5.3 GCSE
History entries at GCSE for 2023 rose by 6.5% against the 2022 figure. Uptake in 2023 showed continued significant growth over the past decade, at 311,146 students (contrast with 222,983 in 2016), an increase of 39.5%. This is compared, for the same timeframe, with a 20.6% increase in student numbers for arts, humanities and social science subjects, and a 12.6% increase for all subjects at GCSE.
The following chart plots History enrolments (red) against six other arts and humanities GCSEs with annual enrolments higher than 50,000 students since 2012, excluding English Language and Literature.
6. Resources and Funding Options for Historians
In 2020, the Royal Historical Society published the following listings for historians at all career stages:
- Archives and Research Libraries in the UK and Republic of Ireland
- Funding and Fellowship Opportunities for in Historical Studies
- Online Resources for Historians
Additional weekly listings of grants and funding opportunities in historical studies are available via ResearchProfessional (subscription needed), with selected opportunities also listed on jobs.ac.uk. An extensive listing of online and free access resources for historians is also available from the Institute of Historical Research (compiled 2020).
The American Historical Association provides an annual jobs report, reporting on annual trends in the profession for the US. The latest update is from August 2022.