Highly selective higher education institutions (HEIs) are simultaneously mandated to enable access for populations which have traditionally been excluded ('equality'), and to ensure that admitted students have the potential to succeed in higher education ('excellence'). This article uses original empirical case study data from 2018, from nine…

Previous research suggested that candidates from some black and minority ethnic groups were less likely to receive an offer of a place from an "old" university. These findings were disputed in a re-analysis carried out for HEFCE which found that only Pakistani candidates were significantly less likely to receive offers (from both…

The article investigates unequal admissions patterns at the University of Oxford. Statistical work shows differences in admission rates by social class, ethnicity, gender, qualification status and secondary schooling. In-depth interviews with admissions tutors, college and university officials and observations of eight admissions meetings provide…