Shruti Khandekar, Senior Researcher at the Education Policy Institute, said: “Along with the A level attainment gap widening for disadvantaged students, 2021-22 was an unusually competitive year for university admissions, with particularly low offer rates. Together, these factors likely led to the increase in the progression rate gap between disadvantaged and better off students, and exacerbated a trend that has persisted since 2013. To reduce inequalities in higher education access, the government must redouble its efforts to close the attainment gap alongside addressing key financial burdens that disproportionately impact disadvantaged students.”
You can view 2023’s widening participation data here.
