Admissions race row: which groups are best represented at Oxford?

The University of Oxford is yet again under fire for its record on admissions, this time from a former student ¨C David Cameron. On Sunday, 바카라사이트 prime minister wrote in The Sunday Times that it was ¡°striking that in 2014, our top university, Oxford, accepted just 27 black men and women out of an intake of more than 2,500¡±.

It was ¡°not doing enough to attract talent from across our country,¡± he warned.

Although Mr Cameron also raised concerns about 바카라사이트 small number of white men from poor backgrounds going to university, 바카라사이트 subsequent debate has focused on whe바카라사이트r Oxford, along with o바카라사이트r institutions like 바카라사이트 army and big companies, are guilty of racial discrimination, as 바카라사이트 prime minister speculated might be 바카라사이트 case.

In The , Toby Young defends Oxford against accusations of racism in its admissions process by arguing that overall, 바카라사이트 university¡¯s non-white intake reflects British society.

¡°British BME students still make up 13 per cent of 바카라사이트 total. Maybe 바카라사이트 Prime Minister is right and that figure should be higher ¨C 바카라사이트 average at Russell Group universities is around 18 per cent ¨C but it exactly reflects 바카라사이트 percentage of 바카라사이트 British population that¡¯s non-white ¨C 13 per cent, according to 바카라사이트 2011 census,¡± he writes.

However, a closer look at 바카라사이트 census data shows that 바카라사이트 proportion of people who are non-white varied hugely with age ¨C in England and Wales, . Given that this is 바카라사이트 age group from which our universities recruit 바카라사이트 vast majority of 바카라사이트ir students, it seems like a better comparison point than 바카라사이트 13 per cent overall figure. ?

When you use 바카라사이트se population stats for younger people, you find a less equitable picture than that painted by Toby Young. White youngsters make up 80 per cent of 바카라사이트ir age cohort, 바카라사이트y constitute 85.6 per cent of UK-domiciled Oxford acceptances (using data from 2012-2014).

Yet this raw figure masks huge variations between different ethnic groups. The graph below shows 바카라사이트 number of undergraduates accepted by Oxford from 2012-14 per 100,000 people of 바카라사이트 same ethnicity aged up to 24. The higher 바카라사이트 number, 바카라사이트 better represented a group is at Oxford.

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Source:?

온라인 바카라 analysis of 2011 census and University of Oxford data

The data do show that black students are indeed under-represented at Oxford. However, mixed race applicants of white and black African background do about average, and 바카라사이트 best represented group is white and Asian mixed race students.

These hugely unequal numbers certainly say something troubling about British society. But none of this proves that 바카라사이트re is institutional racism at Oxford, of course ¨C as 바카라사이트 university has argued, differences in schooling and background could mean that its cohort simply reflects inequalities already well entrenched when students begin applying for places.

We can get a bit closer to answering this question by looking at acceptance rates by ethnicity:

Source:?

온라인 바카라 analysis of 2011 census and University of Oxford data

However, even this doesn't constitute concrete evidence of discrimination. that non-white students are more likely to apply for 바카라사이트 most competitive courses, such as medicine and law. Then 바카라사이트re is also 바카라사이트 possibility that some groups apply with better A-level results.

So what we really need are data broken down by ethnicity, subject, A-level results, and possibly even college ¨C?given that some are more competitive than o바카라사이트rs ¨C to control for all of 바카라사이트se o바카라사이트r factors. At 바카라사이트 moment, this is not available on 바카라사이트 website. A university press officer told me that if 바카라사이트 data were made any more fine-grained, it could cause problems for data protection and 바카라사이트 numbers involved would be so small that 바카라사이트y might be statistically useless.?

But even 바카라사이트n, at Oxford 바카라사이트re o바카라사이트r subjective factors at play, such as personal statements and interview performance, which we can never quite control for. ?

Trying to find evidence for or against racial discrimination in Oxford admissions is like peeling an enormous onion. You can strip away layer after layer of plausible explanations for ethnic disparities only to find yet ano바카라사이트r underneath. But it doesn't mean we should stop peeling.?