For the third consecutive year, the University of Bradford has achieved the number one position in the English Higher Education Social Mobility Index – a league table that ranks universities based on how much they improve social mobility. The index focuses on the change in a person’s socio-economic status after attending university instead of solely looking at graduate salaries. Aston University and City, University of London, finished in the second and third positions, respectively. The index, which has always published only the top 20 institutions, released its complete results this year.
Prof David Phoenix, the Vice-Chancellor of London South Bank University and the creator of the index, said that the rankings show individuals that their background does not determine their future. The index measures specific groups’ access to each university, the rate at which students remain after the first year, and the outcomes for graduates. It includes full-time and part-time students, but there is a shortage of comparable data on apprenticeships. Prof Phoenix said that universities across the country are working to improve economic prosperity for disadvantaged students.
The University of Bradford attributes its success to inclusion and career-focused learning, saying that its ambition is to achieve “more than a degree” by collaborating with over 3,000 employers to provide real-world career education. Prof Shirley Congdon, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bradford, emphasised the importance of access to higher education and said that it is the institution’s core principle. Congdon added that she is fiercely committed to broadening access to higher education, including through its recruitment and admissions criteria.
Physiotherapy student Theo Cook-Pattison, who is one of the few in his family to attend university, praised the support shown by the University toward the first generation of students at university, in particular. He endorsed the demanding, hands-on course and the opportunities to learn more about areas where physiotherapists work. Meanwhile, integrated chemical engineering student Marni Comrie drew attention to the University’s understanding that even those who lack an educated foundation can exhibit excellent social skills and common sense
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