The report presents patterns and trends in data on students and staff at UK higher education institutions covering a 10-year period that has seen a transition to new higher education funding systems across a large part of the UK. Patterns in income and expenditure of UK higher education institutions in 2015-16 are considered. For the first time the report also includes a forward-looking chapter that considers emerging trends and projections related to demographic, economic, technological and political changes that are likely to have implications for future trends in higher education. To give a sense of the shape of the UK higher education sector, in 2015-16 UK universities were teaching around 2.28 million students, 69% (1.6 million) of whom were studying for first degrees, with a further 18% (419,795) studying for postgraduate taught qualifications, 8% (183,955) studying for other undergraduate degrees, and 5% (113,175) studying for postgraduate research degrees. Most students -- 1.7 million -- were studying full-time; however, this varied considerably for different levels of study, from 89% of first degree students, to 25% of other undergraduates. [Foreword by Paul O'Prey. To view the 2016 report, see ED574200.]