Postgraduate recruitment and the rise of regional collaboration
Universities are exploring new ways to collaborate on postgraduate recruitment. We look at the opportunities, risks and how our Discover progression undergraduate to postgraduate dashboards provide the evidence to guide decisions.
The announcement that Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Manchester will offer a joint alumni discount from September 2026 is a significant development in the postgraduate recruitment landscape. Graduates from either institution will be eligible for a 10% fee reduction on postgraduate programmes at the other, extending the discounts already available to their own alumni. This move reflects a growing recognition that collaboration may be one of the most effective responses to the financial pressures facing higher education.
Benefits and risks of partnership
Partnerships around postgraduate recruitment can deliver clear benefits. By pooling resources and aligning incentives, universities can strengthen their regional offer, attract students who might otherwise look elsewhere, and demonstrate a commitment to supporting local communities. For students, the scheme reduces barriers to progression and widens choice.
For students, the scheme reduces barriers to progression and widens choice.
There are risks too. Discounts may shift enrolments between institutions rather than grow the overall market, creating gains for one partner and losses for another. Regional collaboration also raises questions about whether institutions are competing less with each other and more with providers outside their area. Understanding these dynamics is essential if partnerships are to deliver genuine growth rather than simply redistribute students.
A wider trend of collaboration
Manchester’s initiative is part of a broader trend. The University of Greenwich and the University of Kent recently announced plans to form the London and South East University Group, a multi university structure that will create one of the largest higher education providers in the UK. This follows similar moves in Leicester, where the University of Leicester and De Montfort University have offered reciprocal postgraduate discounts for several years. Together, these examples suggest that collaboration is becoming a mainstream strategy for addressing financial challenges and meeting government expectations for regional impact.
Changing student behaviours
Collaboration also intersects with shifting student behaviours. Evidence suggests more undergraduates are choosing to commute rather than relocate, driven by cost of living pressures and a desire to stay connected to local networks. If commuting becomes a more established trend, regional partnerships may grow in importance, as students look for postgraduate opportunities that allow them to remain close to home. This could challenge the traditional residential model of higher education and make local collaboration a competitive advantage.
How Discover progression supports smarter decisions
We believe that data is central to making these partnerships work. Our Discover progression: undergraduate to postgraduate dashboard uses a fuzzy matching methodology to uniquely link undergraduate and postgraduate records across the HESA dataset, providing visibility that no single institution can achieve alone. With this tool, universities can:
- Track undergraduate qualifiers who move into postgraduate study
- Identify where students progress to within or beyond their institution
- Benchmark gain or loss of postgraduate entrants across the sector
- Analyse key characteristics of those who do or do not progress
- Explore complementary subjects aligned with postgraduate pathways
These insights allow institutions to assess the likely impact of discounts, scholarships and incentives, and to design partnerships that deliver genuine growth rather than unintended losses.
The Manchester scheme is a reminder that collaboration is no longer optional. As financial pressures mount and student behaviours evolve, universities will need to work together to create compelling regional offers. Tools like Discover progression provide the evidence base to ensure those collaborations are strategic, sustainable and focused on delivering real value for students and institutions alike.
As financial pressures mount and student behaviours evolve, universities will need to work together to create compelling regional offers.
Act now to shape your postgraduate recruitment strategy
The Manchester initiative shows how quickly the landscape is changing. To make sure your institution is ready, contact your Jisc relationship manager today and start exploring how Discover progression can support your planning. Acting now matters because:
- Competition is intensifying: more institutions are expanding postgraduate portfolios and offering discounts, making it harder to stand out
- Student behaviours are shifting: with commuting and financial pressures reshaping choices, timely insights are essential to reach the right audiences
- Collaboration is accelerating: regional partnerships could become a defining feature of the sector, and data‑driven evidence will help you negotiate agreements that deliver genuine growth
See Discover progression in action
I will be at the Data Matters conference on 21 January 2026 in Birmingham, showcasing the Discover progression undergraduate to postgraduate dashboards.
Join me to see how they can give you a clear view of student pathways, help you benchmark your position across the sector, and support the design of recruitment strategies that are resilient, targeted, and built for impact.
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