Oxford gives places to highest proportion of state school pupils in 40 years

Oxford University has offered 59.2 per cent of places to state educated pupils, the highest proportion in at least 40 years, according to a report from the BBC.

The figures have been released amid calls for top universities to be more open to youngsters from all backgrounds and represent a large increase from 2015, where 55.6 per cent of places were taken by pupils from state schools.

Looking further back, the BBC’s analysis shows that in 1995 48.1 per cent of Oxford admissions were from state schools, with the proportion as low as 34 per cent in 1961.

However, despite the clear progress, places are still dominated by privately educated pupils when compared to proportion of pupils educated in state schools across the country.

According to the Independent Schools Council, around 6.5 per cent of UK school children are privately educated, with 93 per cent educated in state schools. When viewed in this context, admissions to the university still have a long way to go before they come close to being representative of the wider British public.