Graduates who went to private schools earn more than graduates who did not, finds study

New study shows that - even after controlling for subject, degree class, alma mater and occupation - graduates who attended private schools earn on average 6% more than those who attended state schools. If higher education is to be a route to social mobility then the link between family background and adult outcomes must be broken - Anna Vignoles New research shows that graduates who went to private schools earn substantially more than those who went to state schools. Even amongst graduates who went to the same university to study the same subject and who left with the same degree class, those who attended private school earned on average 7% more. Previous work by the researchers found that graduates who attended private schools are more likely to enter higher status and higher paying occupations. But, once they matched occupations in the comparison fields for the latest research, latest research showed that those who went to a private school still earn 6% more, on average, than those who went to a state school. This is currently equivalent to around £1,500 a year. The findings suggest that even when universities widen participation to students from poor backgrounds, there are social inequalities in the success of graduates when they leave higher education.