LSBU ranks 5th nationally for removing barriers to access for disadvantaged students
London South Bank University (LSBU) has been ranked fifth among all English universities for the number of disadvantaged students it recruits, according to a new report from the Social Mobility Commission (SMC).
The report looked at every university in England and compared the mix of students who enrol with the wider pool of young people who had the grades to get in. LSBU ranked 5th out of all universities on this measure.
One university's recruitment of disadvantaged students could look different to another simply because of differences in entry requirements. To account for this, researchers at the SMC also looked specifically at the young people who met each institution’s entry requirements and compared how many disadvantaged students who met these requirements went on to enrol. On this more detailed metric, LSBU also ranked fifth in the country — indicating that our performance reflects genuine success in our commitment to fair access.
The report found that almost one in three English universities under-enrol disadvantaged students relative to the number who meet their entry requirements. Against this backdrop, the Commission is calling on the sector to move away from a single, sector-wide access target and instead adopt goals tailored to each institution's circumstances.
Professor Tony Moss, Pro Vice Chancellor Students and Learners at LSBU, said: "This analysis confirms what we see in our student population every year: that talent is evenly spread, but opportunity is not. It is our responsibility to close that gap – and we take this very seriously. We welcome the Commission's call for tailored, rather than one-size-fits-all, access targets. It's good to see universities like LSBU being recognised by the SMC for our success in delivering genuine fair access to all qualified applicants."
The Social Mobility Commission is an independent advisory body that assesses progress on social mobility across the UK and promotes social mobility in England. The full report, Who gets in? University benchmarks for social mobility, is available at socialmobilitycommission.org.