Key performance measure 11

‘We will identify and celebrate achievements, helping institutions to learn from and build on the success of others, alongside highlighting concerns, empowering universities and colleges to drive positive change.’ (The OfS strategy 2025 to 2030)

The OfS publishes analysis, data and other insight to help institutions better understand the risks and opportunities we see at a sector level and support high quality dialogue and debate.

Tracking the number of times our data is used publicly helps us to understand the relevance and usefulness of our insights and the extent to which the OfS is seen as a trusted source of information about the English higher education sector. Frequent citation of our analysis in the media would suggest we are producing credible and useful information.

The chart provides a breakdown of media references to OfS data, insight and research published each month from September 2025. Between September 2025 and January 2026, there were a total of 348 references to OfS published sources by media organisations.

Media references were highest in September 2025, with 127 citations. This peak coincided with the publication of the sexual misconduct survey analysis in the week commencing 22 September. The number of articles published fell to 55 in October 2025, before an increase in November following the publication of the Financial sustainability of higher education providers in England: November 2025 update.

There was a decrease in the number of media references to OfS published sources from November 2025 to January 2026.

KPM 11 counts the number of media items published each month that use or cite a defined category of OfS output as an authoritative source.

The measure includes references to OfS sources such as data, independent research and quotes or statements by OfS staff. References to regulatory conditions, funding allocations, assessments and descriptions of OfS enforcement action are excluded.

A third-party data provider collects content containing references to the Office for Students in online news, TV, radio and podcasts. Content is gathered from freely available sources and material covered under the OfS’s Newspaper Licensing Agency (NLA) agreement. Artificial intelligence is then used to identify the media content that explicitly quotes or uses evidence and analysis published by the OfS. This output is clerically reviewed and content that does not meet the criteria of the KPM is removed.

This is an experimental measure. We are continuing to refine and improve our use of this tool and there may be small updates to the methodology over the strategy period.

See the KPM 11 data