Outreach and access is a strategic priority at Magdalen, and the 2019 intake of undergraduates shows significant increases in the numbers of students from under-represented groups.
108 new undergraduates arrived at Magdalen to begin their degrees in October 2019. 76 of these students are UK-domiciled.
For the UK students there was a marked increase in numbers from under-represented groups compared to data for the period 2016-18 published in May 2019 in the University’s second Annual Admissions Statistical Report. Of the 76 UK-domiciled students who started at Magdalen in October 2019:
31.5% are from black and minority ethnic backgrounds, an increase of 20.7 percentage points from the average for the previous three years (data available on 73 out of 76);
59.2% attended a state secondary school, an increase of 8.8 percentage points;
60.5% are female, an increase of 16.1 percentage points;
13.3% are from socio-economically disadvantaged areas, an increase of 4.2 percentage points (data available on 75 out of 76);
17.6% are from areas with low progression to higher education, an increase of 8.9 percentage points (data available on 74 out of 76).
Access Fellow Professor Robin Cleveland commented, “The increase in the diversity of Magdalen’s student body this year reflects well on the emphasis that has been placed on outreach and access in the past few years, and in particular the work of the outreach team in visiting schools across the country and hosting students at the College in order to make it clear that Magdalen is open and accessible to all.”
Sarah Rosson, the JCR Admissions and Access Trustee, added, “It’s fantastic to see that there is progress being made and that our outreach efforts are paying off. Throughout the year a large team of ambassadors enjoy meeting prospective students from around the country, as well as answering questions on our new online platform. This is helping to humanise Oxford and the people who study here.”
“We’re really looking forward to ensuring that we continue this positive trend.”
For more details about our wide range of outreach initiatives, get in contact with our outreach and access team.