Admissions to selective UK law schools

This research looks at UCAS data for a group of selective law schools in England, as well as the admissions criteria and processes employed by a wider group of the top UK law schools. The Bridge Group found that students from lower socio-economic backgrounds are less likely to be accepted at 16 out of 20 law schools. The biggest barriers are predicted low grades and qualifications other than A-levels. Even those with A-levels were required to have higher grades (AAB+) than their peers from higher socio- economic backgrounds. This is surprising, given the widespread use of contextual admissions, which in many cases reduces the entry grade requirements for applicants from lower socio-economic neighbourhoods. The research also found considerable variation in the use of information in addition to that provided in UCAS applications and suggests a need to develop more evidence-based approaches to setting admissions requirements and making decisions about applicants. We make practical recommendations to support this process.

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