STATS BEHIND THE STORIES
Going to university can be life-changing, especially if you’re the first in your family to go. Without significant financial investment and maintenance support to go to university, many people could be missing out on this chance.
We want to protect these opportunities and work closely with the government to support the implementation of a fairer maintenance package to encourage people from all backgrounds to consider going to university.
Our asks
Universities UK is calling for the UK Government to:
Reinstate maintenance grants in England for those who need them most to ensure future students have the same opportunities as those of previous generations.
Correct maintenance loans to reflect real rates of inflation and adjust the household income threshold, which has been frozen since 2008.
73%
of first generation graduates agreed their degree gave them the confidence to apply for jobs without feeling like an imposter
41%
of first generation graduates believe that without their main source of financial support, they wouldn’t have been able to afford to go to university at all
86%
of all UK graduates describe going to university as a good decision or the best decision they’ve ever made
36%
of non-graduates were put off university because of concerns about their financial commitments
Our evidence
Our analysis of data from Censuswide and Jisc has revealed previously unseen evidence about first generation students, their qualifications, backgrounds, outcomes and the importance of maintenance support.
About this Data
Our evidence is based on Censuswide’s survey of graduates and non-graduates commissioned by us and tailored data collected by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and provided by Jisc.
Survey of graduates and non-graduates by Censuswide
We commissioned Censuswide to carry out a survey of the experiences of 6,004 UK graduates and 4,006 non-graduates from across the UK aged 24–40.
The survey highlights the crucial role that financial support plays in access to higher education, as well as the transformative impact university can have on the ambition and confidence of students from all walks of life.
Analysis of data collected by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)
We also analysed data collected by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), who collect, assure and disseminate data about higher education in the UK, to explore the characteristics of students and graduates whose parents do not have a higher education qualifications.
The data we received from HESA provided information on the number of UK undergraduate students at UK higher education providers between 2012–13 and 2021–22, including whether their parent held a higher education qualification, and where and what they were studying. We also received information on what graduates were doing 15 months after completing their course in 2021–22.
Who are first generation students?
We’re defining first generation students as university students whose parents or caregivers do not hold a higher education qualification (in our analysis of Jisc data) or have self-reported as a first-in-family student (in Censuswide’s survey).
Evidence shows that first generation students are more likely to be from BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) British and other minority backgrounds and have attended a state-funded school. They are also less likely to attend selective universities that require high grades for entry.
Compared to those who are white, students who are Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) British or of other minority backgrounds are disproportionately more likely to be first generation students, being more likely than their white counterparts to achieve a degree and be the first in their family to do so. (Source: HEPI, First-in-Family Students, 2022)
Graduates in England whose parents did not obtain a degree are less likely than others to have attended an independent school (4% versus 14%), less likely to have a parent working in a higher managerial occupation (40% versus 85%), and more likely to have been eligible for free school meals (10% versus 2%).
First generation students are more likely to choose subjects to study at university that are perceived to have a higher earnings potential and/or a clear path from study to employment (Source: Henderson, M., Shure, N., & Adamecz-Völgyi, A., ‘Moving on up: ‘first in family’ university graduates in England’, 2020).
In England, those studying education, law, nursing or business and management were more likely to have parents without higher education qualifications.
First generation students are less likely to attend selective institutions that require higher grades for entry than those with graduate parents, even when controlling for prior educational attainment.
For example, the proportion of first generation students at Oxbridge is only 18%, much lower than the 48% figure for the sector as a whole. (Source: Henderson, M., Shure, N., & Adamecz-Völgyi, A., ‘Moving on up: ‘first in family’ university graduates in England’, 2020).
How many first generation students are there?
With increases in higher education participation in recent years, more first in family students have been able to attend higher education than ever before, The total number of first generation students has grown from 526,460 in 2012–13 to 651,965 in 2021–22, an increase of 24% over the last 9 years. (Source: HESA)
Number of first generation entrants to higher education (2021–22)
The total number of first generation students has grown from 526,460 in 2012–13 to 651,965 in 2021–22, an increase of 24% over the last 9 years.
(Source: HESA)
Do first gen students need financial support?
Just under half of first generation students (41%) say they couldn’t have gone to university without maintenance support, with a further 14% saying they couldn’t have attended their preferred university.
First generation students are 27% more likely to be reliant on maintenance grants (10%) than their peers (8%).
First generation students were also more likely to rely on a university bursary than their peers (21% vs. 17%), and less likely to receive support from their family (16% vs. 23%).
When asked what they thought may stop people they know from attending university, the same group highlighted the high costs of general living expenses (63%) and rental accommodation (59%), as well as rising inflation (53%).
Source: Censuswide (2024)
First generation university students are more reliant on financial support from the government (currently in the form of maintenance loans in England) and university bursaries than their peers. Cost of living could be a barrier to those from first generation backgrounds going to university.
Non-graduates who said financial support would have changed their decision to go to university
Financial support first generation students predominantly relied upon to live while at university
What do non-graduates think about uni?
Non-graduates are worried about the financial burden of going to university. However, many talk about the benefits of getting a degree.
When non-graduates from across the UK were asked what made them choose not to go to university, over a third (36%) were put off by concerns with their current financial commitments, and a quarter (26%) cited financial barriers to attending university.
When non-graduates were asked what might have persuaded them to attend university, almost half (48%) responded that it would have been more financial support.
More than one in four non-graduates mentioned financial barriers, including not enough support to afford university and concern about debt made them choose not to do to university.
Almost one third of non-graduates think that a university degree would enable a higher starting salary than non-graduates and opportunities to progress in career quicker than non-graduates.
Most (53%) of non-graduates would encourage family members to go to university to get a better job.
Source: Censuswide (2024)
What are the benefits of going to uni?
First generation graduates say university improves their confidence – and they also see higher salaries and better outcomes.
How does the uni experience benefit first generation students?
86% of all UK graduates surveyed describe going to university as a good, or indeed, the best decision they have made.
For first generation graduates in particular, attending made them professionally more ambitious (74%), encouraged them to push themselves in their personal life (72%) and provided a sense of self-pride (82%).
First generation student graduates clearly cited a number of ways in which their university journey had enriched their lives:
78% said it made them more confident in themselves
76% agreed it gave them broader life experiences (eg. travel, new perspectives)
74% said it gave them independent life skills (eg budgeting, understanding bills, rent)
60% agreed it led to a larger social network of friends for life
A large number (65%) of first generation students thought twice about going to university at all, because they felt they had ‘imposter syndrome’. However, having then completed their course, almost three quarters (73%) of first generation students then agreed that their degree gave them confidence to apply for jobs without feeling like an imposter.
Source: Censuswide (2024)
86% of all UK graduates surveyed describe going to university as a good, or indeed, the best decision they have made.
What do first generation students study?
Subjects related to medicine, business and management, and social sciences are most popular amongst first generation students.
The subjects with the highest proportions of first in family students are education and teaching (61%), business and management (57%), subjects allied to medicine (57%), and combined and general studies (55%).
Source: HESA
What and where do first gen students study?
First generation students study a range of subjects across the UK.
Where do first generation students study?
With 18% of the UK’s first generation students, London has the largest share in the overall student population across all domicile regions.
The regions with the largest proportions of first in family students are West Midlands (57%), North East (54%), Yorkshire and the Humber (54%) and North West (53%).
The English local authorities that have seen the largest growth in the number of first in family students over the last 9 years are Kingston upon Hull (+81%), Nottingham (+67%), Thurrock (+65%), Luton (+54%) and Slough (+53%).
Source: HESA
First generation students as a percentage of total students
Change in first generation entrants compared to 2012–13
What Do first gen graduates do after uni?
First generation graduates earn more than their peers and are more likely to go into paid work after graduation.
Professional and associate professional occupations accounted for just under two thirds (65%) of all job groups for first in family graduates in employment. (Source: HESA)
In 2021–22, 23% of first generation students reported earnings above £30,000 15 months after graduation compared to 28% of students whose parents attended higher education. (Source: HESA)
A 2023 Universities UK survey revealed that first generation graduates reported a higher average starting salary of £30,111, compared to those who were not first generation, who had an average starting salary of £27,754. (Source: Universities UK, The value of going to university, 2023)
15 months after graduation, 72% of first generation students were undertaking paid work for an employer while 11% were engaged in a course of study, training or research. Comparably, 68% of students whose parents attended higher education are undertaking paid work for an employer and 14% of this population are engaged in a course of study, training or research. (Source: HESA)