T HE 13TH AND 17TH floors of the Shard, towering over south London, make an improbable home for the University of Warwick. Stranger still, a mile or so away, next to the Ministry of Sound nightclub, lies the University of the West of Scotland. In the east of the city Loughborough University, known for its sporting expertise, has established itself in the former press centre at the Olympic Park.

Since the early 2000s British university outposts have sprung up across the globe, from Lagos to Johor Bahru. But the most popular place is closer to home. At least 15 regional universities have campuses in the capital, compared with none a decade or so ago. University administrators expect more to arrive soon.

The reason for the rush is simple. For institutions in remote or unfashionable bits of the country, setting up shop in the capital “is a good way to get students who wouldn’t normally consider you”, explains Paul Woodgates of PA Consulting, whose clients include universities. That is especially true of foreign students who, if they are from outside the European Union, pay fees two or three times higher than their British peers. Many universities’ London campuses offer English-language teaching alongside academic study. At Loughborough’s outpost in the capital, 85% of students come from beyond the EU, with China the main source.

Opening an embassy in London also helps to raise the profile of the institution more broadly, says Tony Edwards, the Loughborough campus’s incoming head. His university sometimes makes the top ten in British rankings, but suffers in international ones, which put more weight on the views of academics in other countries who may not have made it to the East Midlands.

London outposts typically offer courses in vocational subjects, like business or management, which are cheap to teach. In some cases they forge links with businesses that would be hard to replicate back at base. But not always. “It is quite striking how often the proximity to big, prestigious employers is flagged up, as if geographical proximity would be enough to improve employment outcomes,” says Rachel Brooks, a sociologist at the University of Surrey (which does not yet have a London branch). She and Johanna Waters of UCL found that academics at London offshoots had fewer qualifications than those at their parent campuses, and often had professional rather than academic experience.

And though the bright lights of the city may appeal, an administrator at one university thinking of setting up a campus confesses he worries about the student experience. Facilities in the capital can be cramped and, with few students on campus, opportunities for sports teams and student unions are limited. Universities hope that the central location makes up for a somewhat stripped-back education. As more outposts open, that idea will be put to the test.