Higher Education is a key driver of social mobility

This is a guest blog by the University of Greenwich.

Higher education is a key driver for social mobility. Income gaps in later life are lower between graduates from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers, compared to non graduates. And while it’s not the only route to social mobility, it’s clear that a university education is key.

There’s good news in this area. The number of students who had been eligible for free school meals (a key indicator of disadvantage) entering higher education now sits at nearly 30 per cent – the highest recorded level. But that’s still lower than the national average.

At the University of Greenwich we have a track-record of supporting people from deprived areas to come to university and to go on to success in their chosen careers.

Many of our students will be the first in their families to access higher education of any form, and will therefore lack the guiding hand and support of someone who can lead from experience. Nearly 60 per cent of our students come from deprived areas. Two thirds of our students are Black, Asian or from another ethnic minority background. And while the traditional route to university is a linear path from A levels to degree, many of our students have done something different, taking BTECs, or an access or foundation course on arrival.

Making a difference is a core purpose for many universities. With a diverse student base, what makes the University of Greenwich distinctive is that we proactively support our students and staff to achieve their ambitions because of, rather than despite, their backgrounds.

And our approach is working: data from the IFS (2021) looked at the number of students who had received free school meals and earnings at age 30 to assess social mobility. We were placed 4th in the country. Recent data also shows that our graduates earned more on average than other London graduates fives years after graduation.

That’s because the education we provide to each and every student is world-class, focusing on employability and real-world skills that help people succeed in their chosen careers. Our facilities, teaching, support and collaborations with industry come together to feed individuals’ success.

We ranked as ‘gold’ – the highest level possible – in the Teaching Excellence Framework 2023. We provide stimulating opportunities that recognise the strengths that diverse experiences bring. And with our industry partnerships, students get access to outstanding learning opportunities.

Research from the Sutton Trust in 2021 showed that ‘post 1992’ universities, including the University of Greenwich, are particular engines at unlocking social mobility. The research adds that social mobility in English universities is continuing to move in the right direction but highlights there’s more to be done.

At a national level, social mobility remains constrained by wider educational inequalities, like attainment gaps at school. But at an institutional level the University, and others like us, are committed to doing all we can to remove the barriers that many students will experience on their path through higher education.