Revealed: The Russell Group vice-chancellors who got a pay rise the same year their unis announced redundancies

At least 12 Russell Group universities increased the amount they spent on their vice-chancellor in 2025, the same year they threatened job cuts.

While staff members are encouraged to take voluntary, or even compulsory redundancies, the university’s top earners continue to receive more money.

Based on financial statements for 2024-25 academic year, this list shows which Russell Group university vice-chancellors received higher total pay compensation last year than in 2023-24.

The figures account for the overall emoluments, meaning everything a university has spent on its vice-chancellor that year, including pensions, accommodation, benefits and other expenses.

This is different to salary. However, most vice-chancellors in the list did receive a salary increase as well as having their overall pay package upped.

Unless specified otherwise, the increases are calculated annually.

University of Birmingham, via Unsplash

12. Cardiff University – £758 monthly increase

Professor Wendy Larner received an approximately £758 monthly pay rise, being compensated with a total of £364,000 for 12 months work in the last academic year. In the year before, she received £342,000 for 11 months work. 

Her salary for the whole year in 2024-25 was £294,000, and £267,000 for 11 months the previous year. A Cardiff University spokesperson stressed the vice-chancellor received the same pay award as other staff over the year.

The spokesperson also explained the vice-chancellor herself “does not play any part in, the discussions and decisions of their own remuneration.”

On 28th January this year, Cardiff University management announced plans to make extensive cuts of over 400 full-time academic staff as part of a restructure. This comes after the university announced a £33.44 million deficit. 

11. University of Southampton – £3000 increase

The University of Southampton upped its spending on Professor Mark E. Smith from £394,000 to £397,000 last year. His salary itself also increased by £11,000, from £340,000 to £351,000.

In the academic year 2024-25, the university paid £1,350,000 making 158 employees redundant.

10.University of Edinburgh – £4000 increase

Edinburgh’s vice-chancellor, Professor Mathieson cost the university £4000 more in 2024-25 than the previous year. The university spent a total of £426,000 on him this year, compared to £422,000 the year before. His salary alone increased by £13,000.

In October 2025, the UCU informed The Tab the university had begun compulsory redundancies and closed its Institute for Academic Development. The university has since said it has not begun compulsory redundancies.

9. University of Warwick – £5000 increase

Professor Stuart Croft’s total compensation went up £5000, from £384,000 to £389,000 in a year. Even his salary went up £4000, from £339,000 to £343,000. A University of Warwick spokesperson has stressed the vice-chancellor’s base salary only increased in line with the percentage awarded nationally to university staff and explained he has accepted no performance awards since 2017.

The vice-chancellor’s overall pay package increase is despite the University of Warwick paying £2,250,000 to make 184 employees redundant. In November 2025, the university announced a voluntary leavers scheme and cited the international students levy as the reason for cutting costs.

The university spokesperson described The Voluntary Leavers Scheme as part of a “thoughtful and measured approach to support the university’s long-term financial future.”

They said: “While the university is not in financial difficulty, we do face increased operational costs due to external factors outside of our control. They include paying our first full year of additional National Insurance contributions.

“Strong financial health ensures that we can remain competitive amid challenging global conditions and that we can continue to provide an outstanding teaching and research environment for our students, staff, and partners.”

8. University of York – £6117 increase

Professor Charlie Jeffery’s total salary and renumeration came to £316,485, which is a £6117 increase from £310,368 the previous year.

In the same year, the University of York spent £6,784,000 making 393 employees redundant. As of May 2024, the university expressed it is hoping to cut £34 million, which could mean cutting 400-700 staff members.

7. University College London (UCL) – £12,300 increase

UCL spent £531,100 on Dr. Michael Spence last year, up £12,300 from the total pay package of £518,800 the year before. His salary also went up from £398,500 to £410,000.

The university spent £3,600,000 making 387 employees in 2024-25.

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6. University of Liverpool – £17,800 increase

The total renumeration for Liverpool’s vice-chancellor was £358,000 in 2024-25, up £17,800 from £340,200 in 2023-22. Professor Tim Jones became vice-chancellor of the university in January 2023, taking over from Professor Dame Janet Beer. The vice-chancellor’s salary also increased from £294,000 to £297,600.

The University if Liverpool opened its Voluntary Redundancy Scheme in February 2025 in effort to address its “small financial deficit ” for the year.

5. King’s College London (KCL) – £18,000 increase

King’s spent £446,000 on Professor Shitij Kapur last year, £18,000 more than in 2023-24. His salary increased from £313,000 to £355,000. And remember, the vice-chancellor gets to live rent free despite his enviable salary.

In the same year as the pay rise, King’s spent £3,602,000 million getting rid of 327 employees.

A King’s College London spokesperson previously told The Tab: “The change in the vice-chancellor’s total remuneration is to account for the HMRC rules about how accommodation provided to Professor Kapur is taxed.”

4. University of Exeter – £31,000 increase 

Professor Lisa Roberts’ total pay package was £392,000 last year, £31,000 more than it was in 2023-24 when she got £361,000. However, this was down since the year before when the university spent a staggering £405,000 on her. Her salary has increased steadily over the past three years – from £290,000 to £305,000 to, most recently, £308,000.

In July 2024, the University of Exeter announced the return of The Exeter Release Scheme, a voluntary self-severance scheme that was first established in 2020. Since the scheme was relaunched, there have been concerns over how job cuts will impact student experience. In the academic year 2024-25, the university paid £10,038,000 to make 427 employees redundant.

3. University of Birmingham – £37,000 increase

In the academic year 2024-25, the University of Birmingham spent a total £453,000 on Vice-chancellor Adam Tickell. That’s £37,000 more than the figure for the previous year, £416,000. His actual salary saw a £5000 increase, from £351,000 to £356,000. 

A University of Birmingham spokesperson explained the “vice-chancellor’s pay, including pension, as a percentage of university turnover is below the higher education sector average, at 0.04 per cent for 2024/25, compared with 0.13 per cent for the sector according to data published by HESA for 2023/24.”

They also stressed senior pay at the institution is set by an independent renumeration committee that ensures decisions are fair and benchmarked against other Russell Group universities.

Despite the vice-chancellor’s pay rise, Birmingham is still looking to make job cuts. In October 2025, the university announced a consultation meeting, concerning restructuring and redundancies, with biosciences staff.

In October the previous year, the university opened up a voluntary severance scheme. This year, at least 286 staff members have left with £12,400,000 between them. The spokesperson said the scheme was introduced to help protect the university from future volatility and help ensure it can “continue to invest in our long-term strategic ambitions.”

2. University of Oxford – £93,000 increase

Professor Irene Tracey became vice-chancellor at the start of January 2023. The total amount the University of Oxford spent on the vice-chancellors serving during the year went up £93,000 from £573,000 in 2023-24 to £666,000 in the most recent year. The vice-chancellor’s salary also shot up from £410,000 to £427,000.

As a University of Oxford spokesperson pointed out, the vice-chancellor’s total remuneration for 2024/25 includes an unusually high payment of £91,460, which is an reimbursement for tax liabilities on the property in which she lives.

They added: “The temporary (until January 2026) living accommodation provided to the vice-chancellor, gives rise to a taxable benefit on which she pays tax for this Benefit in Kind. This payment, of which £49,762 related to previous financial years, accounts for this year’s increase in the vice-chancellor’s benefits. This reimbursement does not apply after January 2026 after a change in the vice-chancellor’s accommodation arrangements.”

Meanwhile, Oxford was one of the highest spenders on redundancies among Russell Group universities, paying £5,379,000 to 545 employees.

The university spokesperson said: “The independent committee which reviews the vice-chancellor’s salary recommended a 2.5 per cent increase for the 2025 calendar year in light of these responsibilities and taking into account the current Vice-Chancellor’s performance and experience, as well as the market rate in UK universities for jobs of comparable scale.

“The committee also took in account that, aside from national pay awards, the base salary for the role had not increased since 2009, as the current vice-vhancellor, chose to forego a previous 8.4 per cent increase and took a lower salary on taking office in 2023. The vice-chancellor this year also received the 2.5 per cent national pay award to all university staff.”

1. University of Manchester – £149,000 increase

This absolutely huge increase does account for the fact the University of Manchester got a new vice-chancellor. Duncan Ivison replaced Nancy Rothwell at the end of July 2024. But even so, the amount the university spent on its vice-chancellor went from £268,000 to £417,000 in just a year. The salary also increased from £260,000 to £350,000.

Also in the academic year 2024-25, the University of Manchester paid £1,700,000 to 234 employees in redundancy payouts.

The universities have been contacted for comment.

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Featured image via Unsplash