Overview
- New FOI figures show 16% of black UK undergraduates accepted by Oxford over five years did not meet A‑level conditions, compared with 6% of white British and 2% of Chinese‑heritage applicants.
- Oxford says admissions judge merit and academic potential using tests, written work, references and interviews, with some below‑grade acceptances due to exceptional circumstances.
- Reporting identifies Bristol, York and the Royal Agricultural University using schemes that can grant guaranteed interviews or offers up to two grades lower for some black or Asian applicants, with some criteria explicitly citing non‑white ethnicity.
- Conservative politicians, including Chris Philp, criticize the practices as social engineering, and some parents question the fairness of reduced offers.
- Universities UK is working with Ucas and the Sutton Trust on clearer, consistent criteria under Office for Students access requirements, as Oxford data also show 61% of black entrants from the most deprived areas and lower first‑class rates for black students than for white or Chinese cohorts.