Cardiff University

Analysis

Cardiff University is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Cardiff. It was registered in July 2010, 16 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training and the advancement of health or saving of lives, which this site groups under health and saving lives. It says it provides services and sponsors or undertakes research.

In the financial year ending July 2025, Cardiff University reported income of £634.1m and spending of £692.0m, spending 109% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from July 2021 to July 2025, income grew from £604.6m to £634.1m (+4.9%), an average of +1.2% a year. Over the whole period it spent 104% of the income it received.

Among 24,651 England and Wales charities whose main cause is health and saving lives and that reported income, Cardiff University sits at the 100th percentile: it is one of the largest 1% in its cause. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 100th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Wellcome Trust (£589.5m), Lloyd's Register Foundation (£691.7m) and British Heart Foundation (£410.6m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 84%, trading 12% and investments 1.7%. Charitable activities took 78% of spending and raising funds 0.4%. Grants to other organisations totalled £3.4m. Reserves of £767.0m would cover about 13 months of spending at that rate. It employed 6,092 people.