THE UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES ADMISSIONS SERVICE
Registered charity 1024741 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as U C A S · also registered in Scotland as SC038598 (OSCR)
UCAS is an independent charity, and remains committed to its vision of being at the heart of connecting people to higher education. We do this by providing information, advice, and admissions services to inspire and facilitate progression in education.
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Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts
The accounts state that total group income increased by 2.6% to £58.7m, driven largely by trading activities from UCAS Media and interest receivable. Total group expenditure rose by 2.3% to £57.1m, resulting in a net surplus for the year. The charity holds liquid reserves of £37.7m, which exceeds its stated policy target of four months' forecast cash outflows, indicating strong financial resilience.
Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.
What the accounts disclose
Reserves policy: four months forecast cash outflows (held: £37.7m)
“following the review during 2024/25, a minimum level was set at four months forecast cash outflows.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: UCAS Media Limited
“A gift aid payment of £1,818k (2024: £1,003k) is due from UCAS Media Limited to UCAS.” — page 54
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Trading subsidiary: UCAS Media Limited, UCAS Consultancy and Insights Limited
“UCAS owns 100 per cent of the share capital of its subsidiaries, UCAS Media Limited, and UCAS Consultancy and Insights Limited.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Accounts audited by RSM UK Audit LLP. Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.
Corporate structure
UCAS MEDIA LIMITED — per its own Companies House accounts
- Change of accounting reference date
UCAS CONSULTANCY AND INSIGHTS LIMITED — per its own Companies House accounts
- Unpaid share capital owed to parent company: £4,000 (2025) vs £1,000 (2024).
Company officers (Companies House)
Current officers of the charity’s own company per the Companies House register, cross-checked against the Charity Commission trustee list by name. A director not on the trustee list is usually a timing or naming difference between the two registers — check both records before drawing conclusions.
- KHAN, Osama Shafique Minhaz, Professor — director, appointed 07/07/2026on trustee list
- GHEDIA, Prakash — director, appointed 02/07/2026on trustee list
- SPARKES, Luke Dunstan — director, appointed 22/05/2026on trustee list
- MILLER, Joanne Frances — director, appointed 22/07/2025on trustee list
- NORMINGTON, Catherine Jane, Professor — director, appointed 17/07/2025on trustee list
- JARVIS, Alistair James Bradbury — director, appointed 02/07/2025not on trustee list
- VAN WIJNGAARDEN, Justin James — director, appointed 24/10/2024not on trustee list
- KELLY, Daragh Michael — director, appointed 24/10/2024on trustee list
- MILLER FRSE, James Alexander, Professor — director, appointed 18/07/2023not on trustee list
- CARVALHO, Patricia Ann — director, appointed 09/05/2022on trustee list
- BAILEY, Colin Gareth, Professor — director, appointed 10/12/2020not on trustee list
- FELIX, Mark Benjamin — director, appointed 01/09/2019on trustee list
- YATES, Tessa Jane — secretary, appointed 02/07/2019
Official officers record.
Public-sector contracts awarded
From the official Contracts Finder and Find a Tender notices (supplier matched by exact registered name). Contract income is distinct from grants.
Property (HM Land Registry)
1 registered title in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (1 freehold). All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
Trustpilot: UCAS scores 1.9/5 from 34 reviews (source) — reviews usually concern the charity’s shops or services, not its charitable performance.
Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook (343,385 likes) · instagram (87K followers)
Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/07/2025)
Cost of raising funds
£22.5m
Reserves (reported)
£18.6m
Reported reserves equal ~3.9 months of spending — below the median for charities its size (median 4.6 months; benchmarks).
Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (55% of income) — components as reported reconcile to the return’s total income; not from the accounts narrative.
Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 38.3% of total income — above the 90th percentile for charities its size (median 3.8%) (benchmarks).
Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).
Operates in: Northern Ireland · Scotland
Income and spending
Common questions
Is THE UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES ADMISSIONS SERVICE financially healthy?
Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that total group income increased by 2.6% to £58.7m, driven largely by trading activities from UCAS Media and interest receivable. Total group expenditure rose by 2.3% to £57.1m, resulting in a net surplus for the year. The charity holds liquid reserves of £37.7m, which exceeds its stated policy target of four months' forecast cash outflows, indicating strong financial resilience. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by RSM UK Audit LLP.
Government & lottery funding
Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).
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Side by side with its peers
Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.