Degree attainment by socioeconomic background: UK, 2017/18 to 2020/21

This study supplies experimental statistics on the association between degree attainment (i.e. the proportion of first degree qualifiers awarded a first or upper second class) and our area-based measure of deprivation across the UK. Social mobility is often viewed as relating to the extent to which an individual’s outcomes (e.g. on the basis of earnings or employment) differ to that of their parents. Improving social mobility continues to be a key policy objective across all nations of the UK, with education seen as one of the potential ways in which this can be achieved. Consequently, this has led to regular statistics being distributed on attainment gaps in primary and secondary education by various measures of deprivation. The evidence consistently illustrates those experiencing greater levels of deprivation display lower levels of attainment, which can inhibit progress in raising social mobility.