Poor Pupils Miss Top Universities Despite Having Good Grades :: New research suggests that teenagers from wealthier backgrounds are more likely to attend top institutions – even if they have the same grades. The research, which compared the proportion of English teenagers with good grades with the proportion of those at ‘elite’ institutions, has confirmed that the gap between the proportions of rich and poor pupils is not simply a matter of grades.

Having considered the situation in England, the researchers also considered the same issues in Australia and the United States. They found that a similar gap between attainment and elite university attendance was also evident. Dr John Jerrim, who led the research, argued that the figures demonstrate that a proportion of working class children choose to attend a non-selective institution despite achieving the grades to attend one of the upper-tier establishments in their country.

In terms of figures, the research suggested that the children of professionals in England are more than three times more likely (3.2) to attend a Russell Group university than working-class children. When grades are taken in to account, this figure drops to 1.4 times more likely. i.e. Although there is an element of the picture which suggests the offspring of professionals achieve slightly higher in general, they are still around 40% more likely to attend an upper echelon institution if they have the same grades as a child from a working class background.

Dr Wendy Piatt, director general of the Russell Group, felt the report showed that disadvantaged pupils were not achieving the right grades in the right subjects.

The Russell Group represents 24 leading UK universities which are committed to maintaining the very best research and an outstanding teaching and  learning experience .

She also suggested that some extremely talented pupils may not receive the right guidance or encouragement to apply for top-tier universities – and that the Russell Group, “cannot offer places to those who do not apply or who have not done the right subjects to study their chosen course.”

Dr Piatt described the issue as a one which affects leading universities across the globe, and argued that there was no ‘silver-bullet’ with which to tackle the problem.

million+ use rigorous research and evidence-based policy to address and provide solutions to complex problems in higher education.

Pam Tatlow, Chief Executive of the million+ group, argued that students are actually much savvier than they are being made to be, and that they do not feel it necessary to study at the range of universities who label themselves as ‘elite’.

“They understand that high-quality, top-class degrees leading to high-flying, professional careers are available at a wide range of universities. It is therefore unsurprising that they choose to study at these universities.”