Big layoffs, campuses or facing closure? The 10th largest university in the UK, can't hold on?

The University of Ulster is the largest institution of higher learning in Northern Ireland, with more than 31000 students and 3100 faculty members. Its School of Business and Management is one of the largest in Europe. In the UK, the school's comprehensive scale ranked 10th. AtQS2027 World University RankingsAmong them, Ulster University ranks 595 in the world, while the UK ranks 50th to 55th.

However, large scale does not mean strong anti-risk ability.

Vice-Chancellor, University of Ulster, April 2026Paul BartholomewThe professor announced at a faculty meeting:Schools plan to cut up to 450 jobs-This is equivalent to 14% of all faculty members. The reason is that the school faces a financial deficit of about 25 million pounds (about 0.23 billion yuan).

Where did the money go?

The answer is:International students are not coming.

According to the data, the income brought by international students at Ulster University plummeted from 31.65 million pounds in 2024 to 26.37 million pounds in 2025, a decrease of more than 5 million pounds in a year, a drop of 16.7. This led directly to the school recording an operating deficit of £ 20.2 million in 2025.

Behind the sharp decline in international students is the gradual tightening of the British government.Student Visa Policy-- The threshold for studying abroad has been raised, family members have been restricted, and the passage for graduates to stay in the UK has been narrowed. When "studying abroad" becomes "you have to go after studying abroad", more and more people choose other destinations.

If it's just layoffs, it may not be the worst news.

Unite UnionA blunt warning: such a large-scale layoff will threaten the survival of the school's multiple campuses,"More than one campus may face closure".

Interestingly, the first to report this.Belfast Live, the original title impressively read"Union warns of campus closures" (union warns of campus closure)However, it was quietly revised to delete "campus closure" from the title. On the one hand, the trade union gave a firm warning of closure, and on the other hand, the school insisted that "there is no threat of closure of the Colleen campus"-the same news, the headline changed and the statement changed, but the fate of 450 job cuts still hangs over 3100 faculty members.

According to the information disclosed so far, the distribution of the layoff plan in each campus is:

• Belfast campus: 221 jobs

• Colleen Campus: 114 positions

• Maggie Campus (Delhi) :108 jobs

• Jordan Stown Campus: 7 positions

  
  

Among them, the Magee campus currently has 6500 students, and the Northern Ireland government aims to expand the enrollment to 10000 by 2032. But now, while shouting for enrollment expansion, 108 jobs have been cut off-union representatives questioned the minister of economy in parliament: "how can you promise to expand the enrollment of the Maggie campus while destroying its teaching staff?"

The Colleen campus is in an even more awkward position. Local politicians said that Colerain "does not see the same investment" compared to the large-scale investment in Belfast and Magee campuses, "it is too easy to be regarded as a goal to save money". The union representative admitted that there were fears that Colerain would be "the easiest one to start with when it comes to financial downsizing".

To make matters worse, the vice-chancellor bluntly stated in a video sent to employees: "There is no political solution yet. We must take action ourselves to ensure the long-term survival of the university.". The union angrily pointed out that the school "failed to rule out the possibility of compulsory layoffs, or even the possibility of layoffs exceeding 450".

If the number of voluntary departures is not enough,Compulsory layoffs-could come at any time.

Vice President, Student Union, Colleen CampusChris Murray"Panic is widespread"-from "a course may move to another campus" to "the entire Colerene campus may close", and rumors are flying.

The biggest concern is the quality of education. Some members pointed out that young people will now hesitate: I have elected this school, will those senior professors still be there next year? Can I get the teaching support I deserve?

For doctoral students, the problem is more serious--As long as one member of the mentor team leaves, the entire degree can be at risk。

At the same time, the local chamber of commerce also issued a warning: this university is not only an educational institution, but also the entire northwest of Northern Ireland.economic anchorFrom transportation to renting to catering, countless local business depend on the existence of universities.

The crisis at Ulster University is not an isolated case. From the United Kingdom to the United States, from Australia to Japan, the chain of "international student discontinuity → financial deficit → layoffs and shutdown" is spreading in universities around the world. For families who are planning to study abroad, it may no longer be unfounded to ask "will this school be there in three years" when choosing a school.