This report looks at the outcomes of the cohort of English-domiciled A-level students who entered full-time degree courses in 2007‑08. We examine the extent to which a student’s background affects their chance of obtaining an upper second or first class degree. The report updates and extends previous HEFCE research which analysed the cohort of 1997-98 entrants. Read More

This report updates and extends previous work on the Participation of Local Areas (POLAR) classification, focusing on the latest version, POLAR3. This report evaluates the construction of POLAR3, explores how this classification relates to other forms of deprivation affecting young people and looks at how the characteristics of 2011-12 higher education entrants from different POLAR3 quintiles vary. Read More

This interim paper seeks to investigate the effect that institutional bursaries had between the academic years 2006-07 and 2010-11 on the retention rates of young full-time first degree students. Read More