Students who went to a state school are more likely to leave university with a first or a 2:1 than graduates who went to a private school, an reveals.

The study, conducted by the Higher Education Funding Council for England, found a significant correlation between students¡¯ backgrounds and their levels of achievement, with black and ethnic minority learners at a particular disadvantage, and women outperforming men.

In terms of school background, Hefce found that 82 per cent of state school leavers who graduated from English universities in 2013-14 achieved a first or a 2:1. This compares with 73 per cent of independent school students.

The difference was not significant between students from different educational backgrounds with the highest A-level grades, but was more marked among students enrolling with grades AAC or lower.

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Other variables such as subject of study explained five percentage points of the difference, the study says. But a four percentage point gap remains.

Les Ebdon, the director of fair access to higher education, said that state school students arrived at university with untapped potential.

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¡°Private schools do a very good job and produce students with grades that maximise their potential,¡± Professor Ebdon said. ¡°Many state school students could have performed even better if they had the opportunities that private school students did.¡±

Sir Peter Lampl, chairman of the Sutton Trust, said that universities should do more to take account of the opportunities available to young people when making decisions on admissions.

¡°We know that state school students are under-represented at universities, particularly those from less advantaged backgrounds and in the most selective universities,¡± Sir Peter said. ¡°But the fact that they are more likely to get a better degree than their private school peers shows how important it is to improve access to help able young people fulfil their potential.¡±

The study says that 76 per cent of white graduates at English universities achieved a first or a 2:1 in 2013-14, compared with 60 per cent of black and ethnic minority learners. Other variables explained only 1 per cent of the gap.

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A previous Hefce study suggested that students from ¡°non-typical¡± backgrounds may not feel that their identity is reflected in their university courses, and that this may affect their performance. Other factors may include part-time work commitments, accumulated social capital, or ¡°low expectations¡± among staff, the research found.

The latest study found that 74 per cent of female graduates achieved a good degree, compared with 70 per cent of men. Part-time and disabled students were also at a disadvantage.

Madeleine Atkins, the chief executive of Hefce, said ¡°persistent unexplained differences¡± in degree outcomes must be addressed. ¡°We must ensure that all students regardless of background or characteristics fulfil their potential and achieve the degree outcomes they deserve,¡± she said.

Hefce also examined claims of grade inflation, stating that the proportion of students achieving a first or a 2:1 at English universities has increased by approximately 1.5 per cent every year between 2010-11 and 2013-14.

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About half of the annual increase is ¡°explained solely¡± by changes in student characteristics, such as entry qualifications, Hefce said. The other half remained unexplained but could be down to changes in learning, teaching and retention, or ¡°behaviour following the introduction of higher fees¡±, the study said.

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com