THE University and College Union (UCU) has welcomed Labour’s pledge to crack down on “exorbitant” vice-chancellor pay, as the party prepares to expose institutions that award lavish salaries while failing students.

A Whitehall source told The Times that Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson plans to publish league tables highlighting vice-chancellor pay at universities where significant numbers of graduates do not progress to good jobs or further education.

She is concerned that some universities have become “ivory towers,” disconnected from accountability, where senior executives benefit from soaring salaries despite providing poor value for students.

The 20 worst-performing universities in terms of graduate outcomes paid their vice-chancellors an average of £280,000 last year, with one receiving £361,000.

At the bottom of the table is the London School of Science & Technology, where just 40 per cent of students progressed to graduate employment or further study, according to the Office for Students. 

The head of the organisation, Ali Jafar Zaidi, was paid £338,757.

University College Birmingham ranked second-worst, with a 49 per cent progression rate. 

Its vice-chancellor, Professor Michael Harkin, was paid £310,000 in 2023. 

“It is high time that those responsible for cutting courses, sacking staff and harming student learning were forced to tighten their own belts and bring down their own inflated salaries,” UCU said in a statement.

“However, any attempt to look at graduate outcomes must include the wider benefits of going to university, such as health and work productivity. 

“Otherwise, the table risks being far too crude to usefully measure the benefits of getting a degree.”