A new report published by the Higher Education Policy Institute
(HEPI) calls for undergraduate admissions and access work at the
Universities of Oxford and Cambridge to be centralised, arguing
this would improve fairness, transparency and efficiency.
The report, Fairer for All: Towards a Centralised
Model of Admissions and Access at Oxford and
Cambridge (HEPI Debate Paper 47) by Charlotte
Armstrong, finds the current collegiate system – while valuable
for the student experience – creates significant barriers for
applicants, teachers and schools navigating the admissions
process.
The report reveals stark disparities in access and widening
participation funding between colleges. Freedom of Information
request data show the highest-spending colleges allocate
12 times more to widening participation and
outreach than the lowest-budgeting colleges, with some colleges
allocating less money than others, despite having larger
endowments.
According to the report, these differences contribute to an
uneven national landscape of support for prospective applicants
and risk disadvantaging some students with the greatest
potential, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds
Key findings:
-
Huge variation in outreach funding: The
highest-spending colleges allocate around 12 times more to
access and widening participation than the lowest-spending
colleges, leading to uneven support across the country.
-
Inconsistent admissions processes: At the
University of Cambridge, grade entry requirements, interview
formats and offer levels vary between colleges, meaning
applicants can face different outcomes depending on where they
apply.
-
A complex and opaque system: The
collegiate structure makes it difficult for applicants and
teachers to understand and navigate the admissions process,
particularly in schools with limited capacity.
-
Fragmented outreach provision: Access
work is split across colleges, leading to duplication in some
geographical areas and gaps in others.
-
Poor institutional coordination: College
outreach activity is not beholden to institutional Access and
Participation Plans but instead operates on a trust-based
system.
The report concludes that these features risk disadvantaging
capable applicants – especially those without access to detailed
guidance on navigating the system.
To address these challenges, the report recommends a phased
programme of reform. It first calls for greater standardisation
of admissions practices across colleges – removing the current
inconsistencies in interviewing style and grade offer level,
among others. Following this stage, the report calls for the
introduction of a fully centralised system in which applications
are assessed by departments rather than colleges.
The report also recommends centralising access and outreach work
within each University, supported by pooled contributions from
colleges, to ensure more consistent and targeted provision.
The report notes that elements of centralisation already exist
within current practice and argues these could be expanded to
deliver a more consistent, transparent and equitable admissions
system.
Charlotte Armstrong, Policy Manager at HEPI and author of
the report, said:
Oxford and Cambridge's admissions systems are complex and
uneven. Variation between colleges, both with regards to
admissions and outreach work create an inconsistent and unfair
system. At present, factors such as which college a student
applies to can shape their experience of the process – and
potentially their chances of success. That should not be the
case.
Similarly, the variation in resources and buy-in between
colleges with regards to access and widening participation work
means that different areas of the country are receiving different
levels of support. Centralising admissions and outreach would
help ensure that all strong candidates are considered fairly,
while maintaining the benefits of the collegiate system once
students arrive.
