Building opportunity for all

Building opportunity for all

4 June 2025
Tackling educational inequality and improving life chances for learners across the UK
A group of students on campus

As government works to tackle educational inequality and improve life chances for learners across the UK, Russell Group universities have set ambitious new targets and made fresh commitments, building on extensive partnership work to expand opportunity.

Higher education is one of the most effective drivers of social mobility, equipping individuals with the skills, knowledge, and experience needed to succeed. Russell Group universities have a vital role to play in ensuring opportunity is not limited by background but instead shaped by ambition and talent.

Central to our universities’ higher education offer is a commitment to delivering successful outcomes for all students from all backgrounds; this means increasing opportunities to access higher education and supporting students to succeed during and after their studies.

The number of young people from the most under-represented areas studying at Russell Group universities is growing, with a 56% increase since 2019.5 In the same period, Russell Group universities have seen an increase of 62% in Black minority ethnic placed applicants. Over the last decade, the difference in the proportion of students from the most and least under-represented areas has narrowed. While overall progress towards increasing access for under-represented young people has steadily improved, there is a mixed picture across measures of disadvantage. Our members understand there is more to be done to improve progress and rate of change. They are committed to going further to ensure all under-represented students with the potential to succeed can study with us.

Collectively, Russell Group universities are investing over £250m a year on access and widening participation-related activities.

In addition to the objectives set out in their Access and Participation Plans (APPs) and other access agreements, Russell Group universities have come together to identify areas where they could go further and drive progress through collaboration between our universities and with others in the sector. The following commitments articulate what we want to deliver to further support under-represented students across the UK and the government’s ambition to build opportunities for all.

1. Russell Group universities will actively participate in and, where appropriate, convene regional collaborations and partnerships focused on improving opportunity.

2. All Russell Group universities will offer a support package for care leavers and work towards extending this offer to care-experienced and estranged students. This package will include accommodation support, bursaries and contextual admissions.

3. Russell Group universities will partner with others in the sector to establish a consistent language for contextual admissions policies, which supports transparent and fair admissions.

4. Russell Group universities will engage with and support the establishment of the TASO Higher Education Evaluation Library.