Financial Statements of the Oxford Colleges 2016-17
The financial statements of the 36 colleges of Oxford University for the year ending 31 July 2017 are available as pdfs, together with an aggregated statement of financial activities (SOFA) and aggregated consolidated balance sheet.
The colleges are independent, self-governing and financially autonomous and their accounts are published under the accounting convention developed by the Charity Commissions for use by charities in the UK (the Charity SORP).
Kellogg College and St Cross College do not have Royal Charters and, for accounting purposes, are departments of the University. As such, their financial results are consolidated into the University's financial statements.
Commentary
Incoming resources for the colleges amounted in aggregate to £516m, up 12.2% on the previous year. Resources expended amounted to £408m, an increase of 5.1%.
The colleges, through the tutorial system, undertake a substantial proportion of Oxford's undergraduate teaching, as well as supporting graduate studies and research. The colleges also provide accommodation for around three-quarters of Oxford's 20,700 full-time students, and catering services for all of them.
Teaching, research and residential income, which accounted for 38% of aggregate income in 2016/17, rose by 3.0% to £197m. Teaching, research and residential expenditure continued to exceed income, indicating a subsidy by the colleges of £137m (or 41%) for the cost of these core activities.
Donations and legacies, towards both annual expenditure and endowment (£160m), together with investment income (£124m) accounted for 55% of aggregate incoming resources.
Net income from trading, representing the colleges' commercial activity with third parties, was £9.9m demonstrating the continuing effort made by colleges to diversify their sources of income. Net incoming resources before gains totalled £107m.
Another year of strong investment performance saw the value of college endowments grow by 10.8% during the year to £4.57bn.