The report measures the ability of universities to add value to their students in a new way
Date: 12 October 2026
London Metropolitan University has been recognised by new research as one of the best universities in England for supporting students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The Higher Education Value Add (HEVA) Index by The Post-18 Project is a new way of measuring the ability of universities to add value to their students.
The findings show that London Met had the third highest score of all providers in England – behind only LSE and Plymouth Marjon University.
Marva de la Coudray, Director of Centre for Teaching Enhancement and Director for the Centre for Equity and Inclusion at London Met, said:
“This new report provides clear, independent evidence of the impact of our work in reducing equity gaps and supporting disadvantaged students throughout their university experience.
“The findings validate our overall approach to student success and educational equity. And it reinforces the importance of the work of our Student Success Strategy, our whole-institution commitment to tackling inequity through systematic change and the meaningful actions we are taking to strengthen outcomes for our students.”
A new way to measure university success
The report compares the gap between free-school-meal (FSM) and non-FSM students at each provider with the sector’s overall average.
It was compiled by Professor Antony Moss, London South Bank’s Pro Vice-Chancellor for Students and Education, and a leading expert within the sector in this area.
Writing in the report, he argued that reducing outcome gaps for students from disadvantaged backgrounds is one of the clearest measures of the value universities add to society.
Marva added: “Too often, success in higher education is judged through narrow measures such as rankings and graduate earnings.
“While these indicators have their place, they do not reflect the transformative impact universities can have in reducing disadvantage, advancing social justice and ensuring students achieve outcomes that are not determined by their background.
“Research such as this helps bring that contribution into sharper focus.”
The Index recognises providers who are doing more to contribute to a reduction in overall equality of outcome gaps across the student lifecycle.
It is an attempt to redress what many in the sector see as an over-reliance on average graduate earnings data.
The report argued that universities should not be judged solely on absolute outcomes, but also on the extent to which they reduce disadvantage-related outcome gaps and add value for students from underrepresented backgrounds.
It said out-dated earnings data cannot be used as a reliable proxy for the quality of education today and tell us “next to nothing” about whether courses will offer a strong financial return in the future.
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