30th December 2002

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The University of Ulster is one of the best universities in the UK at attracting students from right across the social spectrum - and that's official!

Statistics released by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), the universities' regulatory body, shows that 39 percent of UU's 3,706 entrants came from poor social backgrounds.

This compares to a national average of 25, percent and the Northern Ireland average of 33 percent - and was 11 percent above the benchmark set by HEFCE.

The statistics show that the University of Ulster is one of the best universities in the UK at widening access to its courses.

The government has urged universities to make higher education open to as many people as possible from all backgrounds, while nationally, some universities have been criticised for being elitist.

The UU's Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Teaching and Learning, Professor Richard Barnett, said that the University prided itself in its ability to attract students from right across Northern Ireland's society.

"We are especially delighted that this latest research validates our efforts to reach into even the most socially deprived parts of Northern Ireland. Initiatives like our groundbreaking Step-Up programme, which is designed to attract young people who had never considered going to university to study science at higher education level, are having the desired impact.

"This research, along with other published assessments, show that even as we are widening access, we are still maintaining and improving the quality of our teaching and research. By giving young people in Northern Ireland first class educational opportunities, we are playing an important part in transforming the economic prospects of the province -- which depends more and more on the quality of our labour force."

For further information, please contact:

Press Office Department of Communication and Development
Telephone: 028 9036 6178
Email: pressoffice@ulster.ac.uk