UCAS: Most privileged areas win more Cambridge places
New equality report for higher education administration group reveals disparities in backgrounds of entrants
Applicants to the University of Cambridge are more likely to get an offer if they are from areas with high levels of higher education participation, according to an equality report released by UCAS.
The report covers 130 universities, with data from the years 2010 to 2015, and calculates the percentage difference in offers given to candidates applying to the same course with similar predicted grades, but differing in sex, ethnicity and background.
Area background disadvantage was measured using the POLAR3 measure, which classifies applicants into five groups based on level of participation in Higher Education of young people in that area.
Applicants from areas in the lowest participation quintile in 2011 were seven per cent less likely to get an offer, when correcting for predicted grades. Although this figure has decreased slightly and was positive in 2012, applicants were still less likely to get an offer throughout the period.
Applicants from the next three quintiles were also less likely to get an offer, with percentage point differences at or below zero between 2010 and 2015. Only those who came from areas in the highest participation quintile were more likely to get an offer in all six years recorded, averaging about 1.5 per cent more likely.
According to the statistics, men were about 1.5 per cent less likely to get an offer if they had similar predicted grades to other applicants. In the last five years, women have been more likely to get an offer, although by small amount of between 0.6 per cent and two per cent.
There was higher fluctuation in the likelihood of getting an offer when accounting for ethnic group. In 2011, Asians were four per cent less likely to get an offer, although this has changed over the period to roughly 0.3 per cent.
Whether black applicants were more or less likely to receive an offer fluctuated more, ranging from nine per cent more likely to 4.3 per cent less likely. Those who are white were, on the whole, neither more nor less likely to get an offer, after predicted grades were factored in.
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