UCAS, the UK university admissions clearing house, have released data relating to ethnicity and admissions to English universities, in part in response to Vikki Boliver‘s research in Sociology suggesting that members of ethnic minorities are less likely to be admitted to Russell Group universities.

The analysis note with the release is sober and correct, showing a mostly consistent pattern of offer rates for ethnic minority students being lower (but not far lower) than expected. However, UCAS’s press release seems to have suggested that the effect is almost explained away, and attributes it to ethnic minority students disproportionately applying to courses with low acceptance rates. This does not seem to be the case.

Update: see also next blog entry.
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