In recent years, the history of universities has become a thriving field of research, but no convenient summary has been available to the reader. This book offers a clear and concise introduction to the subject. It surveys the debate on the significance of British university development, and relates it to general questions about British social history. It asks how far the nature of British elites has changed since Victorian times, what contribution universities have made to social mobility, and whether higher education (despite its expansion since the Second World War) has really become more democratic. In this unique general account of the development of British universities the author covers all parts of the British Isles, and provides a comprehensive bibliography for further study.