Expert warns that online lectures may make high fees a ‘challenge’

England has the highest undergraduate university tuition fees in the developed world, but institutions may struggle to sustain charging such costs to students if online provision remains, an education expert has warned.

Andreas Schleicher, director of education and skills at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), said students go to university to meet people and “experience the social life of campus” and it will be a “real challenge” for universities if they keep learning online.

The largest rise over the past decade has been in England where fees have tripled, according to the OECD’s latest education at a glance study.

The findings come as a number of universities across the country are planning to keep lectures online this term as they adopt a blended approach to learning, with a mix of in-person and online teaching.

The report, which looks at the state of education systems in 38 nations with developed economies, plus eight other countries, ranks England as having the “highest” tuition fees for bachelor’s degrees in publicly-funded universities across OECD countries with available data.

Universities in England can charge up to £9,250 per year for an undergraduate degree, and even more to overseas students.

Scottish students do not pay tuition fees in Scotland, and Northern Irish students benefit from a lower tuition fee cap in Northern Ireland.

Lectures will stay online at many universities.