Man looking forward to the camera

Our vision is a higher
education system and labour market where outcomes are
determined by competence
and hard work, and not by
socio-economic background

 
 

Why our work is necessary

Social inequality is harmful for society, individual health and well being, and economic and creative productivity.

Social inequality has a striking impact on educational and employment outcomes, with wide gaps between individuals based on their socio-economic background. 

See examples of educational and employment inequalities below.

Whether you’re an employer, a university or a policymaker, we can work with you to change this, now.

This is why our vision really matters. Our mission is to promote social equality in the higher education system and labour market via research. 

Inequalities in employment

In 2024, professionals from working-class backgrounds were paid on average £6,287 less than their more privileged peers in the same job. This 12% Class Pay Gap means that they effectively work 1 in 8 days for free. Source: Social Mobility Foundation
Graph showing household total wealth in pounds by distribution of GB households by percentile
Young adults aged 25 to 29 years from a higher professional class background are more than four times more likely to be in a higher professional occupation (32%) than those from a lower working-class background (7%).

Inequalities in education

Graph showing 'Attainment gaps (in months of learning) between pupils eligible for free school meals and their more advantaged peers (2023)' Reception: 4.6 months. Key stage 2: 10.3 months. Key stage 4: 19.2 months
Bar chart showing: Students from low participation neighbourhoods are nearly 2x less likely to progress to HE, and 4x less likely to progress to high-tariff HE, as their more advantaged peers (DfE, 2024)
Graph with text: Mature students, and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds are most likely to undertake part-time study. HESA data shows an overall decline in part-time study. (graph showing declining proportion of part-time undergraduates.
 
 

Support our work

The Bridge Group is a charity and we depend on support from a wide range of individuals and organisations.