Jean Mangan , Amanda Hughes, Peter Davies and Kim Slack

1. Fair Access. Achievement and Geography: explaining the association between social class and students’ choice of university Jean Mangan, Amanda Hughes, Peter Davies and Kim Slack

2. Fair Access and social stratification through choice of university in England

3. Fair Access and social stratification through choice of university in England

4. Fair Access and social stratification through choice of university in England

5. Fair Access and social stratification through choice of university in England

6. Undergraduate stratification by social class

7. Undergraduate stratification by social class Read et al. 2003 Leathwood and O’Connell 2003 • Working Class students believe they would not fit in at elite HEis

8. Undergraduate stratification by social class Read et al. 2003 Leathwood and O’Connell 2003 • Working class students believe they would not fit in at elite HEis Forsyth & Furlong 2003 • Even though working class students believe they will get higher graduate premium from elite HEIs Reay et al. 2001

9. Undergraduate stratification by social class Read et al. 2003 Leathwood and O’Connell 2003 • Working class students believe they would not fit in at elite HEis Forsyth & Furlong 2003 • Even though working class students believe they will get higher graduate premium from elite HEIs Reay et al. 2001 Bourdieu – Habitus and Field

10. But…quantitative evidence tells a different story… Chowdry et al. 2008. Found little effect of material deprivation, parental education and ethnicity on likelihood of attending an elite university

11. But…quantitative evidence tells a different story… Chowdry et al. 2008. Found little effect of material deprivation, parental education and ethnicity on likelihood of attending an elite university Once school exit examination grades had been taken into account.

12. A complication: choosing a local university and living at home Reay et al..2005, Forsyth and Furlong 2005

13. A complication: choosing a local university and living at home Callender and Jackson 2008

14. Research Question: To what extent is social stratification between universities a reflection of grades, social class and geography?

15. Method In-depth questionnaire survey

16. Method Just after students had completed their university applications In-depth questionnaire survey

17. Method Just after students had completed their university applications Two urban areas, one with elite university and one without In-depth questionnaire survey

18. Method Just after students had completed their university applications Two urban areas, one with elite university and one without In-depth questionnaire survey 1272 students from 20 schools and colleges

19. Method Just after students had completed their university applications Two urban areas, one with elite university and one without In-depth questionnaire survey 1272 students from 20 schools and colleges Random stratified selection to include different types of pre-university schooling

20. Variables

21. Bivariate associations between variables and choice of type of institution (Chi squared tests)

22. Possible patterns of cause and effect Examination grades Which university? Social Factors Type of school Location

23. Possible patterns of cause and effect Examination grades Which university? Social Factors Type of school Location

24. Possible patterns of cause and effect Examination grades Which university? Social Factors Type of school Location

25. Possible patterns of cause and effect Examination grades Which university? Social Factors Type of school Location

26. Possible patterns of cause and effect Examination grades Which university? Social Factors Type of school Location

27. Factors affecting likelihood of choosing Oxbridge, Russell group or Other HEI (Ordered Logit) (Other HEI as base case) (other variables omitted non-significant)

28. Factors affecting likelihood of choosing Oxbridge, Russell group or Other HEI (Ordered Logit) (Other HEI as base case) (other variables omitted non-significant)

29. Factors affecting likelihood of choosing Oxbridge, Russell group or Other HEI (Ordered Logit) (Other HEI as base case) (other variables omitted non-significant)

30. Effect sizes: median values of exam performance

31. Effect sizes: high values of exam performance

32. Effect sizes: low values of exam performance

33. At high examination performance, attending an independent school raises the probability of applying to Oxbridge by more, 10 percentage points, compared to state school pupils (6 percentage points); at median examination performance, going to a ‘high-ranking’ university is substantially increased (15 percentage points) by attending an independent school.

34. The debt concerns of students who have chosen to study at university had more effect on the decisions of median and higher achieving students. Not being concerned about debt increased the probability of a median student applying to a ‘high-ranking’ university by 12 percentage points; for high achievers it increased the probability of applying to Oxbridge by 7 percentage points. This concern about debt might suggest that students who have attainments which broaden their choice of institution perceive elite institutions as more expensive to attend (for instance, because of travelling/residence costs).

35. The area of living had a large impact for students with median or above examination performance: living in Area B increased the probability of applying to a ‘high-ranking’ university by 12 percentage points at both median and high examination performance.

36. Conclusions

37. Possible patterns of cause and effect Examination grades Which university? Social Factors Type of school Location Fear of Debt

38. Possible patterns of cause and effect Examination grades Which university? Social Factors Type of school Location Fear of Debt

39. Peter Davies p.davies.1@bham.ac.uk