We are deeply committed to fostering an inclusive and empowering environment where everyone is valued, supported, and encouraged to thrive.
Our global community
We are proud to be one of the world’s most international universities with students coming to study with us from a diverse range of over 150 countries. International students make up 61% of our student community. Our staff community is made up of top talent from across the world, with 41% coming from other counties.
Where our staff are from
Where our students are from
Representation
Across Imperial, we have 50% of female staff but there are some differences between different job groups. For example, Professional Services, our largest staff group, has 65% of female staff, whereas there are 26% female staff within the Academic staff group. The chart shows that we still have work to do to increase female representation in some areas, particularly for academics but we have seen an increase in the proportion of female staff in all staff groups over the past five years.
Legal sex by staff group
Staff retention
We put importance on our employee experience, and we believe our staff retention reflects this with above average service lengths and below average turnover. This contributes to a stable and thriving staff community. During the year staff turnover excluding fixed-term contracts was 6.7% (2024: 8.4%).
7.6 years is the average length of service of an Imperial employee.
Gender, ethnicity and disability pay gaps
We published our Gender, Ethnicity and Disability Pay Gap Reports for 2025, which show progress in some areas and challenge in others.
The median ethnicity pay gap fell from 13.2% in 2024 to 10.2% in 2025. The mean ethnicity pay gap also fell from 19.5% to 17.7% between 2024 and 2025.
In terms of gender the median pay gap fell to 7.4% in 2025 (2024: 10.3%), although the mean gender pay gap increased slightly to 15.8% (2024: 14.8%). The trend was similar for the disability pay gap where the median pay gap fell from 7.6% in 2024 to 4.6% in 2025, while the mean pay gap increased from 8.2% to 11.9% in the same period.
The increase in the mean gender and disability pay gaps alongside a decrease in the median is the result of a change in the distribution of pay gaps rather than a uniform shift. The mean is sensitive to extreme values, so a small number of very high pay gaps among top earners can raise the average and increase the mean pay gap. Meanwhile, the median reflects the midpoint of the distribution and is less affected by outliers. A falling median indicates that most employees’ pay gaps have narrowed, even though a few high earners have widened the gap at the top.
Whilst some metrics have improved since last year, we know there is still work to be done. Over the past year, we have strengthened efforts to improve recruitment, retention and progression for female, disabled colleagues and those from minority ethnic backgrounds. We remain committed to closing these gaps and will continue to review and refresh our plans across the university.
Gender, ethnicity and disability pay gaps
| 2025 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median ethnicity pay gap | 10.2% | 13.2% |
| Mean ethnicity pay gap | 17.7% | 19.5% |
| Median gender pay gap | 7.4% | 10.3% |
| Mean gender pay gap | 15.8% | 14.8% |
| Median disability pay gap | 4.6% | 7.6% |
| Mean disability pay gap | 11.9% | 8.2% |