Analysis: Wealth divides access to higher education
To what extent does our family’s wealth determine our access to 'free-fees' higher education and in turn the careers we pursue?
With the annual additional costs of college now estimated to run to almost €8,500, it’s hard to see how finances don’t come into play.
Today, the Higher Education Authority (HEA) publishes the first complete and accurate socio-economic profile of Ireland’s higher education institutions.
It’s the second year in a row such figures have been published, but this year’s are comprehensive, taking into account data collected on the vast majority (94%) of college students.
Using enrollment data from 2018, the HEA has created profiles not only of the wealth or disadvantage among students in all publicly funded institutions but also of the students studying particular courses.
'Disadvantage' is measured through this study in a more accurate and nuanced way, according to the HEA, particularly when compared to the previous method which was primarily based on a father’s occupation.
Every student was given a Deprivation Index Score (DIS) based on the small area they are from, as a way of assessing their relative affluence or disadvantage. Small areas here are defined as those with 100 dwellings or less.
Ten different Census measures also feed into a DIS including educational attainment, unemployment rate, lone parents, and population change.
Based on these metrics, the higher the DIS assigned to a student, the more affluent they are considered.
As well as providing a breakdown of the backgrounds of students attending any particular institution, the HEA also used these scores to calculate a university or institute of technology’s DIS.
The mean score for all universities and institutes of technology together is 2.1; Ultimately, if we are to have equitable access to education, that score should be zero.
The disparity in these scores is clear. Trinity College Dublin and the Royal College of Surgeons, the most affluent higher education institutions based on this metric, have DIS of 5.7. That compares to -5.1 in Letterkenny IT in the country’s most disadvantaged local authority.
Just nine institutions have DIS above 2.1, all based in Dublin and Cork. Six Dublin-based institutions have a DIS more than twice that of the national population. Compare this to the institutes of technology, the vast majority (nine out of 11) of which have a minus DIS.
It’s as high as 79:10 in Letterkenny IT, and 33.4:10 in IT Tralee. Cork Institute of Technology is 5.4:10 and University College Cork is 2.8:10.
There are also striking contrasts when you look at the profile of individual college courses. Students who come from wealthier areas make up a significant portion of the number studying courses that require at least 500 or more CAO points to gain entry, such as engineering and finance.
With just 4% of medical students coming from a disadvantaged background, the average DIS for a medical student is 6, almost three times higher than the national average of 2.1. Proportionally, 35% of medical students are from affluent areas and 42% of students are considered marginally above average. The average household income for a medical student is also more than €54,000.
Students from wealthier backgrounds are also more likely to go on to further education; Postgraduate students tend to come from more affluent areas, and the most affluent cohort are Ph.D. enrolments.
Men tend to have a higher DIS than women, which suggests lower enrolment rates in higher education from men in disadvantaged areas.
It's important to keep in mind that the data published today does not take into account the number of students who are pursuing apprenticeships, further education, or the labour market. These profiles provide the most evidence to date that there is still work to be done in achieving equal access to education.
We know that the higher education landscape doesn’t reflect the rest of the population in Ireland. The challenge now is addressing the barriers that are holding people back, be it costs, flexibility, or early support and confidence building.
The HEA says it will begin to use this data to better tailor funding given to colleges to support disadvantaged students. Work is also to begin in 2021 on developing a new National Access Plan, in which this data will feature.
A review of the eligibility of the SUSI grant system also can’t come too soon.