Fewer state school pupils attending top universities

A majority of Universities in the Russell Group, which is considered to encompass the best Universities in the country, have accepted fewer students from state schools in the most recent year on record than they did in 2010 – 2011.

The graph below compares the number of students from state schools going to Russell Group universities in 2011-2012 with the previous year.

The data shows that a majority of Universities in the Russell Group, which is considered to encompass the best Universities in the country, have accepted fewer students from state schools in the most recent year on record than they did in 2010 – 2011.

Cambridge, Edinburgh, York and Sheffield had the largest reduction in successful state school applicants while the percentage for Queen’s Belfast, Birmingham and Southampton remains unchanged.

In recent years there has been a slight decrease in the percentage of state school pupils attending top universities. According to the Higher Education Statistics Agency, 88.7 per cent of university places were awarded to pupils from state schools in 2010-11, down on 88.8 per cent in 2009-10.

This is despite claims by the coalition that it is doing more to help students from disadvantaged backgrounds attend the best universities.

3 Responses to “Fewer state school pupils attending top universities”

  1. Independent England

    Given the fact that students from England are alone in having to pay tution fees amounting to thousands of pounds per annum, it would be interesting to see a breakdown by UK nation.

  2. Old Albion

    It would, unfortunately LFF don’t recognise the existence of England.

  3. JC

    Are Imperial, Exeter and Oxford not top universities then? When did that happen?

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