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Deprived London Students Outperform Peers Nationwide in University Admissions
31 Jul
Summary
- Over 50% of inner London's free school meal pupils enrolled in higher ed by 2023-24
- 1 in 10 inner London FSM pupils gained places at selective universities, double the national rate
- Participation gap between deprived and better-off students narrowed, boosted by London's performance
As of July 2025, data shows that young people from deprived families in inner London are attending university at significantly higher rates than their counterparts across the rest of England. In the 2023-24 academic year, over 50% of inner London's pupils eligible for free school meals (FSM) had progressed to higher education by age 19. This is in stark contrast to the national average, where less than 46% of all young people, and under 20% of FSM pupils outside London, had enrolled in university by that age.
Moreover, one in 10 of the inner London FSM students gained places at highly selective universities, such as those in the prestigious Russell Group. This rate is double the national average for disadvantaged pupils. Experts attribute this extraordinary success to a combination of factors, including higher GCSE attainment in London, a greater propensity for non-white students to pursue higher education, and the abundance of universities in the capital.
The data also shows that the "participation gap" between students from deprived backgrounds and their more affluent peers has narrowed in recent years, with London's performance playing a key role in this trend. However, the overall university enrollment figures have seen a slight decline nationally in 2023-24 compared to the previous year, following record levels during the COVID-19 pandemic.
