by Christopher Playford, Anna Zimdars, Eve Worth, Luke Graham, Joanna Merrett, Joseph Crawford, Neil Harrison and Ruth Flanagan

Some students travel far from home to attend university. But many do not, and many cannot. The rising cost of higher education means that for students from lower-income families, mature students, commuters, carers and those with strong local ties, the possibility of studying close to home can determine whether higher education is realistic at all. Local provision of higher education therefore affects what courses are available to young people.

The South West of England is already a higher education cold spot. Evidence from the University of Exeter Centre for Social Mobility suggests that the South West has the lowest rates of progression to HE among regions in England (see reports from 2022, 2023 and 2024). This issue is not new with there being relatively few HE providers and the distances between these institutions being greater.

Young people in the South West face different challenges to those growing up in areas where there are more educational opportunities. Attainment, transport, rural school resources and local labour markets all affect whether young people can access higher education and benefit from it. In the longer term, among young people growing up in coastal and rural communities, the challenge is particularly acute. Research on occupational destinations suggests that those seeking managerial or professional employment may often need to travel or move far from home. Yet moving is not equally possible for everyone with particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds facing barriers to move for study. We believe that the possibility of social mobility should not depend on a young person’s ability to leave their region. It should include the opportunity to living decent lives in the places people call home.

This is where SHAPE subjects matter…

Read the full blog here.