State pupils ‘may miss out financially’

Most pupils in state schools are not aware that going to higher ranking universities could make them better off financially, a survey suggests.

Research has shown that graduates of universities with higher academic status earn significantly more than those from other universities. The Institute of Education found that 19% of graduates who left ‘elite’ universities in the mid 1990s were earning more than £90,000 per year, compared with only 5% of those who went to ‘new’ universities.

However, 51% of state school students are unaware this is the case, compared to 35% of independent school pupils.

Separate research commissioned by the Sutton Trust has found that teachers in state schools are more reluctant to discuss the different status of universities, and that students ‘have only a vague notion of status’.

The findings may go some way to explaining why, according to the Sutton Trust, relatively few comprehensive schools send significant numbers of students to the most prestigious universities.

Parental influence could be more important than the influence of the school, since researchers found that children with two graduate parents were less reliant on information provided by the school.

Professor Geoff Whitty, of the Institute of Education, which carried out the research, said:

“Even with similar predicted grades, students from families where neither parent went to university are much less likely to apply to prestigious universities than those with two graduate parents.”

Sir Peter Lampl, chairman of the Sutton Trust, added:

“We believe it is important that all young people should be aware of all the relevant information on different courses at different universities. Pupils should not be disadvantaged in making these decisions by their background or the type of school they happen to attend.”