White British pupils are the least likely ethnic group in the UK to go to university, according to research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS). The study, which analysed university entrance records and 2011 census data, found that only 32.6% of white British pupils proceed to higher education.
In contrast, Indian and Chinese pupils are more than twice as likely to attend university, with participation rates of 75.5% and 67.4% respectively. Even pupils from ethnic groups that tend to perform worse in school exams, such as black Caribbeans, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis, are more likely to go to university than their white British peers.
The disparities persist across socio-economic backgrounds. Chinese pupils from the lowest socio-economic group are over 10 percentage points more likely to attend university than white British pupils from the highest socio-economic group. White British pupils in the lowest socio-economic group have participation rates more than 10 percentage points lower than any other ethnic group.
Report authors Claire Crawford and Ellen Greaves noted that differences in school attainment explain only part of the gap. Accounting for prior attainment actually widens the unexplained differences, suggesting other factors are at play. They suggested minority ethnic families may place greater emphasis on university attendance, particularly among those for whom English is an additional language and those living in London.
Despite higher participation rates, research by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) found that black Caribbean graduates had the lowest rate of professional employment six months after graduation in 2008-09, a trend that persisted after 40 months. Additionally, Ucas research indicated that ethnic minority teenagers are less likely to receive offers from top universities due to applying for more competitive courses and institutions.
