The coming challenge: Private competition in English higher education

This essay examines the interplay between public and private funding in English higher education. It argues that English higher education has reflected a tension between institutional diversity and a particular 'university ideal'. The absence of serious 'for-profit', private competition contributed to dependency upon the state. As public funding has diminished, the 'university ideal' has given way to the marketplace, with sweeping consequences for the system as a whole.