• Social distancing measures, travel restrictions and lockdowns have tested the ability of universities to survive without students.

• The institutions at higher risk of collapse are those with a large share of international students and those with significant pension obligations, the IFS said.

Thirteen universities, or colleges, in the U.K. are at risk of going bankrupt as the coronavirus pandemic hits their finances and challenges the entire sector, a study by Institute for Fiscal Studies warned Monday.

Social distancing measures, travel restrictions and lockdowns have tested the ability of universities to survive without students. In the wake of the pandemic, many moved their teaching online and some do not have plans to return to their facilities until the summer of 2021.

There’s also uncertainty as to whether non-U.K. resident students will still be looking to learn abroad and if colleges will be able to organize conferences and get a steady income from student accommodation.

“The total income of the U.K. university sector is around £40 billion ($50 billion) per year, or around 1.8% of national income,” the IFS said in a study Monday. “Much of this income is now at risk due to the Covid-19 outbreak.”

As a result, the institute forecast under its main scenario that 13 colleges could go bankrupt without a government bailout or debt restructuring.

The institutions at higher risk of collapse are those with a large share of international students and those with significant pension obligations, the IFS said.

“These tend to be higher-ranking institutions as well as postgraduate and music and arts institutions,” the report said.

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