Social Mobility

Helping people from every background succeed at university  

Whatever their background, we want the most talented and able students to study at Russell Group universities.

We believe passionately in the transformative power of higher education; a commitment to improving social mobility is deeply rooted in all our universities.

Here are some of the ways that our members are boosting social mobility and giving more young people the chance to succeed at university:

Investing in students

In 2017/18 the 20 Russell Group universities in England will invest  £254 million in activities designed to encourage successful applications from students from disadvantaged and under-represented backgrounds: from mentoring, summer schools and campus visits, to sponsoring schools.

University of Bristol

Russell Group universities have nearly doubled funding in the last five years for scholarships, fee waivers, bursaries and outreach activities aimed at the most disadvantaged. 

Working with schools

Our universities make a positive impact on more than 2,000 schools across the UK every year, reaching tens of thousands of pupils.
Imperial College's  Reach Out Lab gives schools from across London access to world class science resources and teaching facilities


To help raise attainment, Russell Group universities provide mentoring, support after-school homework clubs and revision sessions, and regularly hold talks and workshops in local schools and colleges. 

Many also run summer schools, subject taster sessions, and campus visits to inspire young people to engage with academic subjects and to aim to progress to university.

Some Russell Group universities have set up free schools, while others are sponsoring academies - but sponsorship is just one of the ways our universities support schools.

Advancing Access

Our free online Advancing Access initiative provides teachers with comprehensive information and advice about our universities' admissions processes, helping them to support students. 

We know that teachers play an absolutely vital role in encouraging and supporting their students to progress to leading universities.

Advancing Access, a collaborative programme supported by the 24 members of the Russell Group, offers free resources and support to teachers working with young people who are thinking about their university choices.

These resources were developed with teachers and are targeted  at schools and colleges with low progression to higher education.

Supporting disadvantaged students

Our universities work hard to make sure a combination of academic, pastoral and financial support helps disadvantaged students to flourish once at university

We want the most talented and able students to apply to our universities, but we also want them to succeed in their studies. 

We recognise that students from disadvantaged backgrounds can face particular challenges and pressures through their transition from school to university and in progressing to employment and further study. 

Many Russell Group universities provide additional support for students from disadvantaged backgrounds while at university, through mentoring and support for employability or further study. 

Our members are helping students from less-privileged backgrounds gain vital experience through  schemes which link students directly with employers whilst they are still at university.

Participants are offered application support, employability workshops and employer events to help build their knowledge, soft skills and professional networks.

Find out more about the work that our members are doing to boost social mobility in our latest policy briefing.