New statistics show that across the academic years 2017/18 to 2020/21, 89% of young UK domiciled graduates from the least deprived areas of the UK gained a first or upper second class degree compared to 73% of graduates from the most deprived areas.
Today’s figures use HESA’s new UK-wide measure of deprivation which ranks small areas based on 2011 Census data showing the qualifications and occupations of residents.
The release examines the difference in degree attainment by socioeconomic background in each UK administration and looks at how this changed following the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the pandemic, the largest difference in degree attainment between the most and least deprived areas was found in England.
During the pandemic-affected academic years of 2019/20 and 2020/21, the proportion of first or upper second class degrees awarded increased across the whole of the UK. In Scotland and Northern Ireland, students from the most deprived areas saw the greatest increase in first or upper second class degrees awarded. There was less change among students from the least deprived areas leading to a reduction in the gap in these nations. Only Wales saw a greater level of disparity in degree attainment between the most and least deprived deciles during the pandemic than existed before.
