Education is a key driver of intergenerational mobility, yet previous research has suggested that there are large socio-economic and ethnic gaps in higher education participation, including amongst the most selective institutions. Prior attainment has been found to be an important reason why some young people are more likely to go to university than others, but it is less clear which stage of education has the greatest impact on HE participation. This is vital from a policy perspective, as it provides insight into the best time to intervene to raise participation. This report uses linked individual-level administrative data from schools in England and universities in the UK to document the relationships between socio-economic status, ethnicity and HE participation, and explore what drives these relationships.
Authors
Research Fellow University College London
Claire is a Research Fellow at IFS, working on the determinants and consequences of participation in childcare and education for parents and children.
Research Fellow University of Bristol
Ellen, who was a Senior Research Economist at IFS and is now a Research Fellow, is a Max Weber Fellow at the European University Institute.
Report details
- Publisher
- Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
Suggested citation
Crawford, C and Greaves, E. (2015). Socio-economic, ethnic and gender differences in HE participation. London: Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. Available at: https://ifs.org.uk/publications/socio-economic-ethnic-and-gender-differences-he-participation (accessed: 24 April 2024).
Related documents
More from IFS
Understand this issue
Sure Start achieved its aims, then we threw it away
15 April 2024
Scottish Budget 2024-25: IFS analysis
If you can’t see it, you can’t be it: role models influence female junior doctors’ choice of medical specialty
24 April 2024
Policy analysis
The short- and medium-term impacts of Sure Start on educational outcomes
9 April 2024
Sure Start greatly improved disadvantaged children’s GCSE results
9 April 2024
What you need to know about the new childcare entitlements
28 March 2024
Academic research
Higher Education Access and Funding: challenges and policy options
Imagine your life at 25: Gender conformity and later-life outcomes
24 April 2024
A senior doctor like me: Gender match and occupational choice
24 April 2024