This paper evaluates a Hungarian gifted education programme aimed at providing equal opportunities for students with social and economic disadvantages. In the context of a retrospective study, the differences in academic success and learning pathways were examined in a cohort comprising a group that participated in the programme and a group that did not. The analysis used the data of grade 6 and grade 10 students in the Hungarian National Competence Assessment. The analysis found that the scholastic achievement of the students participating in the programme was higher than that of the control group. By grade 6, participants presented higher scholastic achievement, better results in the competence tests and better school grades, and the difference between the two groups increased again by grade 10. The programme contributed to compensating for the participants' educational inequalities and promoted their integrational social mobility. However, it was found that inclusion in the programme was greatly influenced by teachers' perception, which was not always consistent with the aptitude of students.