Alice Gast, who starts at Imperial in September, was paid total remuneration of $1,162,598 (拢679,754) in 2011 in her current job as president of Lehigh University in the US.

Her total pay and pension package at Imperial, which includes a 拢16,000 estimate of the 鈥渢axable benefit鈥� from living in a college-owned apartment in West London, although not the cost of the accommodation itself, falls some way short of that.

However, Professor Gast鈥檚 2014-15 Imperial package amounts to a 28 per cent increase on the 拢330,000 awarded to her Imperial predecessor, Sir Keith O鈥橬ions, in 2012-13 (the most recent figures available).

Her 2014-15 package would have made her the third highest-paid vice-chancellor in the UK in 2012-13, behind only Craig Calhoun of the London School of Economics and Andrew Hamilton of the University of Oxford.

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But she may be pushed down the pecking order by the time the 2014-15 table becomes clear, as vice-chancellors鈥� salaries are likely to have continued their healthy rates of growth.

Imperial has published details of Professor Gast鈥檚 pay .

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An Imperial spokesman said: 鈥淧rofessor Gast has advised that her preference would be to make details of her emoluments available sooner than December 2015, which is when information about her first year at Imperial would otherwise first be published, in the College鈥檚 annual accounts for 2014-15.鈥�

According to the Imperial website, Professor Gast鈥檚 拢421,000 package breaks down into 拢349,138 of 鈥渞emuneration鈥�, 鈥溌�16,000 (approx.)鈥� under 鈥渙ther鈥�, and an employer鈥檚 pension contribution of聽拢55,862.

鈥淥ther鈥� is described as 鈥渢he estimate of the taxable benefit which the President will be assessed as receiving by living on campus in an apartment within 170 Queen鈥檚 Gate, South Kensington, a historic building that is used by the College for a range of official ceremonial and meeting functions. It is a requirement of the position that the President lives on campus.鈥�

Imperial鈥檚 spokesman said: 鈥淚n line with HMRC rules the accommodation itself is not a taxable benefit when it is necessary for the employee to live there to be able to do their work properly.鈥�

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He added: 鈥淭he 拢16,000 refers to accommodation-related costs which are taxable benefits, such as utility services and the provision of furniture.鈥�

john.morgan@tsleducation.com