State students outperform private in degree grades
Degree grades for state and private pupils compared
(about 2 months later)
Students who attended a state school were significantly more likely to get top degree grades at university than those who went to private school.
Update 4 November 2015: The original version of this story reported that state school pupils were more likely to get top degree grades than those from private schools. However, the Higher Education Funding Council for England later said it had erroneously transposed the figures, and the reverse was the case. As a result we have replaced our original story.
The higher education funding council has analysed last year's degree grades awarded by England's universities.
The Higher Education Funding Council published an analysis showing degree grades awarded to different groups of students who graduated in 2014.
It shows 82% of former state school students achieved a first or upper second degree, compared with 73% of private school students.
The figures showed women achieved better degree grades than men.
The figures also show that women achieved better degree grades than men.
The study showed that 82% of former private school students achieved a first or upper second degree, compared with 73% of state school students.
The Higher Education Funding Council has published an analysis showing the wide range of grades being awarded to different groups of students who graduated in 2014.
There has been concern about "grade inflation" and rising numbers achieving top degree grades.
Unexplained gap
The analysis showed that for students entering with the equivalent of three C grades at A-level, 70% will achieve a first or upper second class degree. For students with three B grades, 80% are awarded a first or upper second.
Earlier this year, figures were published showing record levels of first class degrees - with 21% graduating with this top grade. There were a further 51% of students awarded upper seconds.
The funding council figures provide a more detailed profile of where the top grades are being awarded.
Private school students are significantly behind - and the analysis says that this is only partially explained by state school students entering with higher A-level grades.
About half this nine percentage point gap remains unexplained - with state school pupils performing better than might have been predicted.
State school pupils consistently outperform private school students relative to their A-level grades on admissions.
For students entering with three B grades, 75% of independent school students will achieve a first or upper second class degree, while about 84% of state school students will achieve these top grades.
There is also a big variation in degree grades by subject. Among students taking medicine, 90% received a first or upper second, compared with 73% for maths and 69% for law.
Women are ahead of men in degree grades, with 74% achieving firsts or upper seconds compared with 70% of men.
In a further profile of the stronger performers, students from richer backgrounds tend to get higher grades and white students get significantly higher grades than those from ethnic minorities.
Disabled and part-time students also tend to do less well than those without disabilities and those studying full time.
The rising levels of top degree grades has prompted complaints about grade inflation - with the number of first class degrees having doubled in a decade.
The analysis shows that for students entering with the equivalent of three C grades at A-level, 70% will achieve a first or upper second class degree. For students with three B grades, 80% are awarded a first or upper second.
Among those entering with three C grades, about 15% achieve a first class degree.
"Once again, robust analysis shows persistent unexplained differences in degree outcomes for particular groups of students," said Madeleine Atkins, chief executive of the Higher Education Funding Council for England.
"Students who are disabled, or from a disadvantaged background, or from an ethnic minority group, continue to achieve lower degree outcomes than their non-disabled, white, advantaged peers.
"We must ensure that all students regardless of background or characteristics fulfil their potential and achieve the degree outcomes they deserve."
