Can higher education compensate for society? Modelling the determinants of academic success at university

Abstract

This paper examines the role that social characteristics play in determining the academic success of students who begin university with roughly similar entry grades. The data used were drawn from the administrative records of over 38,000 UK-domiciled undergraduate students from one British university between 1998 and 2009. Results show that the characteristics of entrants have varied only slightly over this period and intake is still largely in favour of ‘traditional’ entrants: namely those from professional occupational backgrounds, the privately educated and those of traditional age. The relationship between background characteristics and eventual academic success also reflects patterns seen at earlier education stages. However, when prior attainment was taken into account, the link between degree outcome and many social characteristics does diminish – notably for students who were privately educated and who came from professional occupational groups. This suggests that once students have overcome barriers to admission, it is entry grades rather than social characteristics that may most strongly influence eventual academic success.

Keywords:

• higher education
• participation
• equity

Notes

1. The term ‘elite universities’ is used as shorthand for research-intensive universities who generally (although not exclusively) require the highest entry grades. They tend to comprise those institutions that attained university status prior to the 1992 Higher and Further Education Act. The Russell group comprises 24 of these institutions.

2. For the purpose of this paper, a ‘good’ degree is defined as an upper-second classification or higher.

3. Most universities in the United Kingdom use a five-point classification for the awarding of undergraduate degrees. See Appendix 2.