Equality, diversity and inclusion, access and participation
Explore the many aspects of equality, diversity and inclusion at Kingston University, including access and participation and the University's Access and Participation Plan (APP).
Why Kingston University is great for inclusion, diversity and equality
At Kingston University, we’re dedicated to helping all students achieve their potential. Our programmes are designed to provide the knowledge, skills and opportunities needed for future success. Our institution focuses strongly on equality, inclusion and support for everyone.
Here’s what makes Kingston special:
- Fair access for everyone
We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to study at university. That’s why we’ve developed initiatives to support students from all backgrounds, ensuring access to higher education through tailored programmes and resources. - Diversity and inclusion at the heart of everything we do
Kingston is proud of its diverse community, and we actively promote equality across all aspects of university life. From reducing gaps in degree outcomes to providing targeted support, we are committed to making Kingston a welcoming place for everyone. - Recognised for our leadership in equality
Our efforts in inclusion have been nationally recognised, including the prestigious Race Equality Charter Award. We’re continually improving to ensure all students feel valued and empowered.
Our achievements and commitments
The Race Equality Charter (REC) is a framework created by Advance HE through which higher education institutions can identify and reflect on institutional and cultural barriers impacting Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) staff and students.
Kingston University serves an immensely diverse student population and has always engaged with student race equality. We were one of the first six universities to receive the Race Equality Charter Bronze award in 2015/16 and our latest Bronze Renewal award in 2024 is valid until 2029.
The University has been commended for its sector-leading work on reducing the degree awarding gap for students. We are now applying this same drive and commitment to improving progression and outcomes for BAME staff across the organisation.
Race Equality Charter Action Plan
As an organisation, we have learned a huge amount from the Black Lives Matter movement of Summer 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic's disproportionate impact on BAME communities.
As a result, we are constantly reviewing and updating our race equality action plan to ensure it is fit for purpose, addresses structural inequities, and achieves sustainable change and progress.
Progress made so far
There has also been important progress at the University, driven by the newly formed Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Staff Network:
- The University has now explicitly stated its commitment to race equality by endorsing the Race Equality Pledge
- We have introduced a Senior Leadership Team (SLT) Lead for Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), Professor Many Ure
- We have created a Senior Leadership Team Sponsor for Race Equality
- We have appointed three Race Equality Charter co-chairs
- The University has been undertaking a review and restructure of EDI governance within its governance structure to ensure the EDI objectives and actions are met and fully achieved – results will be used to shape our EDI objectives and strategy for the next five years
We look forward to sharing further progress and achievements moving forward.
Equality, diversity and inclusivity are central to Kingston University’s mission, vision and purpose. They shape the way we learn, teach, research and collaborate within our communities. Our commitment is not only to meet our responsibilities under the Public Sector Equality Duty, but to set an ambitious standard for what an inclusive, forward-looking university can and should be.
Every four years, we refresh our equality objectives to ensure they continue to drive meaningful progress and align with our values. They play a crucial role in delivering our Town House Strategy, helping us become a university where everyone feels they belong, can be their authentic selves and grow and thrive.
Our objectives for 2026-30
- Inclusive voice and belonging: Everyone experiences a genuine sense of belonging, is valued and thrives as their authentic self.
- Equity of opportunity and growth: Everyone is supported to develop towards their full potential, grow and fully engage in all aspects of university life.
- Impact and accountability: Everyone benefits from equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) integrated across the University, supported by clear accountability, robust intersectional data, and measurable outcomes.
Find out more by reading the Kingston University Public Sector Equality Duty Workforce Profile Report 2026 (PDF).
Our 2021-25 EDI targets
You will find our most recent statistics for student and staff equality in the PDFs below.
Students
- Annual student report and data 2023/24 (PDF)
- Student data 2024 (PDF)
- Student data 2023 (PDF)
- Student data 2022 (PDF)
- Student data 2021 (PDF)
- Student data 2020 (PDF)
- Student data 2019 (PDF)
You can find out more about how we are improving equality of opportunity for students from all backgrounds to access, succeed in and progress from higher education on our Transparency page.
Staff
- Staff data 2025 (PDF)
- Staff data 2024 (PDF)
- Staff data 2023 (PDF)
- Staff data 2022 (PDF)
- Staff data 2021 (PDF)
- Staff data 2020 (PDF)
- Staff data 2019 (PDF)
Pay gap reports
- Equalities Pay Gap External Report 2025 (PDF)
- Equalities Pay Gap External Report 2024 (PDF)
- Equalities Pay Gap External Report 2023 (PDF)
- Equalities Pay Gap External Report 2022 (PDF)
- Equalities Pay Gap External Report 2021 (PDF)
- Equalities Pay Gap External Report 2020 (PDF)
In addition to the mandatory reporting on gender, for the first time the University is publishing data around ethnicity and disability. Whilst we need to do more work in these areas, we hope that this demonstrates our commitment to pay equality for all staff, regardless of any protected characteristics.
Significant and persistent degree awarding gaps are found across the higher education sector. This has been a long-standing issue and concern for universities.
What is a degree awarding gap?
A degree awarding gap refers to the difference between the proportion of students from one group awarded a first class or upper second degree, compared with another group. For example, it may refer to the gap between the proportion of White students awarded higher grades compared with the proportion of Black students.
At Kingston we have long believed that addressing such gaps is an essential part of advancing equality and social justice, and have made it a strategic priority.
Kingston's commitments
Like most other universities, Kingston still has significant degree awarding gaps between White and Black students, White and Asian students, and students previously in receipt of Free School Meals and those who were not.
Kingston University has set the following targets:
- Reduce the degree awarding gap between White and Black students to 4% by 2029/30
- Reduce the degree awarding gap between White and Asian students to 3.2% by 2029/30
- Reduce the degree awarding gap between students previously in receipt of Free School Meals and those who were not to 7.5% by 2029/30
These targets also form part of our Public Sector Equality Duty commitments.
How is Kingston reducing the degree awarding gap?
Inclusive Curriculum Framework
Central to our approach has been our award-winning Inclusive Curriculum Framework. This framework ensures courses reflect the learning experiences of our diverse student body, are accessible to everyone and no-one is disadvantaged.
Value-added metric
We have also developed a value-added metric, which measures how far our students' grades differ from the sector average, with the same entry qualifications and subjects studied.
The value-added approach allows us to isolate student attainment from the effects of subject and entry qualifications, and means we can focus attention on the institutional factors that may contribute to differential outcomes. It also helps us more accurately measure our progress.
A culture of equality
We are working hard to create a whole-institution culture of inclusivity across our courses and services. This will improve the experience and academic success of all our students.
Research
We are contributing to change through leading and contributing to key sector research projects in this area.
Access, participation and inclusion
Kingston University is proudly committed to fair access and providing equality of opportunity within higher education. We have a diverse student community, and place enormous value on our students' rich variety of backgrounds and life experiences. We have created a whole-institution culture that celebrates diversity and supports inclusion throughout the student life cycle.
As part of its registration with the Office for Students, the University has an Access and Participation Plan (APP) that sets out our commitment to improving equality of opportunity for students from all backgrounds. Students are covered for the duration of their course by the most recent agreement that is in place when they start their studies.
Please note that the University reserves the right to increase tuition fees in line with inflation and within agreed fee limits, which are subject to parliamentary procedure. Information about university fee limits for 2024/25 and 2025/26 is available here: Fee limits - Office for Students.
Further information about tuition fees for our undergraduate courses is available here: Kingston University undergraduate tuition fees.
2025-26 fee information
- Provider name: Kingston University
- Provider UKPRN: 10003678
Summary of 2025-26 course fees for new entrants
*Course type not listed by the provider as available to new entrants in 2025-26. This means that any such course delivered to new entrants in 2025-26 would be subject to fees capped at the basic fee amount.
Inflation statement: Subject to the maximum fee limits set our in regulations, we will increase fees each year using RPI-X.
Table 1a: Full-time course fee levels for 2025-26 new entrants
| Full-time course type | Additional information | Sub- contractual UKPRN | Course fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| First degree | N/A | £9,535 | |
| Foundation degree | Pharmaceutical & Chemical Science - Year 1 | N/A | £9,535 |
| Foundation year/Year 0 (classroom based) | Classroom based | N/A | £5,760 |
| Foundation year/Year 0 (non-classroom based) | Studio/lab based | N/A | £9,535 |
| HNC/HND | * | N/A | * |
| CertHE/DipHE | * | N/A | * |
| Postgraduate ITT | N/A | £9,535 | |
| Accelerated degree | * | N/A | * |
| Sandwich year | N/A | £1,260 | |
| Turing scheme and overseas study years | N/A | £1,385 | |
| Other | * | N/A | * |
Table 1b: Sub-contractual full-time course fee levels for 2025-26 new entrants
| Sub-contractual full-time course type | Sub-contractual provider name and additional information | Sub- contractual UKPRN | Course fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| First degree | Boomsatsuma Education Limited | 10088539 | £9,535 |
| First degree | Cardiff and Vale College | 10034450 | £9,535 |
| First degree | Royal School of Needlework (The) | 10020436 | £9,535 |
| Foundation degree | Brooklands College - SEN and Inclusive Practice - Year 1 | 10000950 | £7,300 |
| Foundation degree | Morley College Limited | 10004432 | £7,700 |
| Foundation degree | REACH ACADEMY TRUST- Early Years - Year 1 | 10058737 | £7,700 |
| Foundation degree | Reach Academy Feltham- Early Years - Year 1 | 10037673 | £7,700 |
| Foundation degree | Richmond Academy Feltham - Early Years - Year 1 | 10005469 | £7,700 |
| Foundation degree | South Thames Colleges Group - SEN and Inclusive Practice - Year 1 | 10003674 | £7,300 |
| Foundation degree | The LETTA Trust - Early Years - Year 1 | 10064599 | £7,700 |
| Foundation degree | University of Exeter - Year 1 | 10007792 | £8,695 |
| Foundation degree | West Thames College - Early Years - Year 1 | 10007434 | £7,700 |
| Foundation degree | Whitefield School - Early Years - Year 1 | 10045652 | £7,700 |
| Foundation year/Year 0 (classroom based) | South Thames Colleges Group - Classroom based | 10003674 | £5,760 |
| Foundation year/Year 0 (non-classroom based) | * | * | * |
| HNC/HND | South Thames Colleges Group - Year 1 | 10003674 | £5,760 |
| CertHE/DipHE | * | * | * |
| Postgraduate ITT | * | * | |
| Accelerated degree | * | * | * |
| Sandwich year | * | * | * |
| Turing scheme and overseas study years | * | * | * |
| Other | * | * | * |
Table 1c: Part-time course fee levels for 2025-26 new entrants
| Part-time course type | Additional information | Sub- contractual UKPRN | Course fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| First degree | * | N/A | £7,143 |
| Foundation degree | * | N/A | * |
| Foundation year/Year 0 (classroom based) | * | N/A | * |
| Foundation year/Year 0 (non-classroom based) | * | N/A | * |
| HNC/HND | * | N/A | * |
| CertHE/DipHE | * | N/A | * |
| Postgraduate ITT | * | N/A | * |
| Accelerated degree | * | N/A | * |
| Sandwich year | * | N/A | * |
| Turing scheme and overseas study years | * | N/A | * |
| Other | * | N/A | * |
Table 1d: Sub-contractual part-time course fee levels for 2025-26 new entrants
| Sub-contractual part-time course type | Sub-contractual provider name and additional information | Sub- contractual UKPRN | Course fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| First degree | * | * | * |
| Foundation degree | * | * | * |
| Foundation year/Year 0 (classroom based) | * | * | * |
| Foundation year/Year 0 (non-classroom based) | * | * | * |
| HNC/HND | * | * | * |
| CertHE/DipHE | * | * | * |
| Postgraduate ITT | * | * | * |
| Accelerated degree | * | * | * |
| Sandwich year | * | * | * |
| Turing scheme and overseas study years | * | * | * |
| Other | * | * | * |
Our Education Liaison and Outreach Team provides impartial information, advice and guidance to enable learners of all ages and backgrounds to consider higher education for their future. Find out more about our outreach work with schools and colleges.
Students who meet the eligibility criteria may be awarded a Kingston Bursary which is worth £2,000 in the first year of study. Additional financial support is available for students who qualify for support through our KU Cares programme as care leavers, estranged students and young adult carers.
Contact us
Need more information?
Contact us to find the right person to reach out to, or call our switchboard on +44 (0)20 8417 9000.
