University of Bolton, Greater Manchester moves up to fourth in England for improving students’ social mobility

The University of Bolton, Greater Manchester has moved up to fourth in England and top in the region for improving students' social mobility.

The annual English Social Mobility Index , organised by the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI), rates how well Higher Education institutions do to improve their students’ life chances.

Bolton is placed fourth out of a total of 100 Higher Education registered providers in England named in the index, rising from 14th place last year and is placed first in Greater Manchester and the North West.

Professor George E Holmes DL, President and Vice Chancellor of the University of Bolton, described the University’s rise as “excellent news”.

He said: “This highlights our continued commitment to ensure all our students achieve, thrive and progress into positive outcomes.

“As a Widening Participation University, we are committed to transforming the lives of all our students by removing barriers and helping them achieve their potential. It is wonderful to see that we have risen 10 places in the space of a year.

“Social mobility is hugely important and a university such as ours can provide the life-changing opportunity for students who are often the first generation of their families to go to university

“All the staff here work tirelessly to help our students to improve their life chances, regardless of their background or situation.”

The index, compiled by London South Bank University (LSBU), has been published by the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) since 2021.

It measures the social distance travelled by socio-economically disadvantaged graduates from each higher education institution in England.

It combines access, continuation and outcomes measures for undergraduates for all modes of study, except apprenticeships.

This year, graduate salaries have been weighted by region to account for salary differences across the country.

Professor Holmes added: “Our students can come to study at Bolton in the knowledge that we are the top placed university in Greater Manchester for improving social mobility. It is a tremendous achievement we are all very proud of.”

The index, now in its fourth year, can be seen at: 2024 English Social Mobility Index - HEPI