Profit-making US education companies are planning to offer degrees in the UK, tempted by the introduction of top-up fees and the continuing attractiveness of Britain to foreign students.

A senior executive at a US education company said last year's introduction of £3,000 top-up fees payable by undergraduates "levels the playing field" between Britain's public-sector universities, which used to charge undergraduates nothing, and US fee-charging, for-profit universities.