University challenge for poorer students

A new study concludes that the difference in the numbers of advantaged and disadvantaged youngsters going to university is not just down to their academic achievement at school. It argues that some of the discrepancy is “unexplained” and it could be that many students from lower-income families with decent grades may be choosing to go to other universities.

The research also found that the real cost of going to a top university in the US may be less than attending a similar institution in England, despite higher headline fees.

The study, commissioned by the Sutton Trust, looked at the numbers of children from different backgrounds going to top universities in England, the US and Australia.

It found that in England, children with professional parents are about three times more likely to attend a Russell Group institution – considered among the best in the country – than those from working-class homes.