Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Postgraduate Study 2022/23

Equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) remains an important topic for the postgraduate sector. Higher Education providers are aiming to increase access, participation, and success for populations who are historically underrepresented in academic spaces. Conversations about EDI in the postgraduate sector are often motivated by the contrast between undergraduate and postgraduate statistics: postgraduate education is lagging behind in widening access and participation. Below is a list of key facts and figures on widening access and participation for historically underrepresented communities in postgraduate education as the UKCGE prepares for the 2nd UKCGE Conference on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Postgraduate Research focused on Race and Ethnicity.¹

There are 883,635² postgraduates in the UK according to 2022/23 HESA data, 123,655 of which are Postgraduate researchers and 759,975 are postgraduate taught students, according to HESA’s data on who is in higher education.

Religious diversity in postgraduate education 

Among individuals in postgraduate education (PGT and PGR combined), religious affiliation is predominantly non-religious or Christian, making up 60% of the population. According to data put out by HESA on individuals in higher education in 2022/23, 27% of postgraduates identify as Christian, while 33% report no religious affiliation. Those that identify as Muslim make up 11% of the postgraduate population, and 13% do not specify a religious affiliation. Jewish, Sikh, and Pagan communities are the least represented, with .4% identifying as Jewish, 1.5% as Sikh, and .02% as Pagan. 

Race and ethnicity in Postgraduate Education 

Postgraduates with a permanent UK address represent 48% of the total postgraduate population (426,515). Of these individuals, 69% (295,535) identify as White, 11% as Asian, and 7% as Black. Comparatively in 2018/19, 75% of this group identified as White, with those that identifies as Asian and Black making up 10% and 7% of the population, respectively. Notably, the largest demographic shift was in the ​“not known” category, rising from 3% in 2018/19 to 7% in 2022/23. Although the data indicates a slight decrease in the population that identifies as White, the overall demographic makeup shows limited shifts, with increases in other groups remaining below 2%. 

The demographic landscape varies between postgraduate taught (PGT) communities and research communities (PGR). Amongst PGT students, 68% identify as White, 11% identify as Asian, 8% as Black, and 4% as mixed race or ethnicity. In contrast, 74% of the PGR population identify as White, 9% as Asian, 5% as Black, and 4% as mixed race or ethnicity. These differences show a slight variation in diversity across the postgraduate sector, with PGT representing a more diverse community.

Rurality in Postgraduate Education 

Regionally, individuals from Greater London make up the largest section of the postgraduate population with UK-domiciled addresses, with 81,830 students from this area according to HESA’s 2023 data on locale of those in higher education. Individuals from the Greater London area represent 9% of the total postgraduate education population and 19% of those with a UK-domiciled address. Those from Greater London make up 20% of the UK-domiciled PGR population and 12% of the total PGR population. 

Following London, the Greater Manchester area, and the West Midlands each account for 2% of the total postgraduate population and 4% of the UK-domiciled population. West Yorkshire ranks fourth, with 1% of the total PGE population and 3% of the UK-Based population coming from this area. These figures highlight the concentration of postgraduate students coming from majority urban areas. 

Disparities between UK-countries in Postgraduate Education 

Across the United Kingdom, those from England make up 40% of the total postgraduate population, those from Scotland make up 4% of the total population, those from Wales make up 3% of the total population, and those from Northern Ireland make up only 1% of the total population. 

While these country-based disparities seem to vary between PGT and PGR, as those from England make up 50% of the PGR population and 39% of the PGT population, the difference actually exists in those coming from outside of the UK, with 40% of the PGR population coming from outside of the UK and 53% of the PGT population coming from outside of the UK. In terms of representation from Wales (3% vs. 2%), Scotland (5% vs. 4%), or Northern Ireland (1% vs. 1%), there is little difference between PGR and PGT. 

Those from England make up 84% of the total UK-domiciled PG population and 50% of the total PGR population. Comparatively, individuals from Northern Ireland make up 2% of the total PGR population, those from Scotland make up 5% of the PGR population, and those from Wales make up 3%. 

For PGT, those from England make up 39%, 11% lower than the comparative proportion of the PGR population. However, those from England still make up 83% of the UK-domiciled PGT population. Those from Wales make up 2% of the total population, those from Scotland make up 4%, and those from Northern Ireland make up 1% of the total population. The difference in representation from England between PGT and PGR is accounted for because of the rise in non-UK Domiciled individuals in PGT, rather than higher equity and access for other countries in the UK. 

International participation in Postgraduate Education 

Internationally, the largest PG population in 2022/23 come from India, China, and Nigeria. Indian individuals make up 16% of all postgraduates, with 143,270 individuals coming to study in the UK. Following, with 87,940 individuals in postgraduate education, individuals coming from China make up 10% of the postgraduate population. Nigerian postgraduates make up 7% of the total population, numbering 62,625 individuals. Individuals from these three countries make up 33% of the total postgraduate population, while – as stated above – 48% of the postgraduate population come from the UK. 

Regionally, PGT and PGR look slightly different. Those from Greater London make up 12% of the total PGR population, making up the largest regional pathway when considering international individuals as well. While in PGT, those from India make up the largest section of PGT, making up 19% of the population. In both PGR and PGT, individuals from China are the next largest population, with 10% in both sections of the PGE sector. 

These statistics show that the postgraduate sector still has work to do in relation to equity, diversity, and inclusion. 

Ethnicity

Between 2017/18 — 2022/23 UK domiciled postgraduates identifying as White have decreased from 75% to 69%. This may show some improvement in the diversity of the postgraduate population. However, as shown above, there is less diversity in postgraduate research programmes compared to taught courses. There is also a significant contrast between undergraduate and postgraduate populations: 59% of the undergraduate population identify as White as of 2022/23. These figures underscore the need for more inclusive representation within postgraduate communities and increasing pathways into postgraduate education for students of colour from undergraduate studies. 

Regional and country-based variations

Over 80% of UK-Domiciled postgraduates in both taught and research programmes come from England, with Greater London alone contributing 19% of the total PGE population. In comparison, 71% of undergraduates are from England, with 16% from Greater London. In undergraduate education, 6% of students came from Scotland (4% in PGE), 4% from Wales (3% in PGE), and 3% from Northern Ireland (only 1% in PGE). These figures highlight a disparity amongst UK countries and regions as students move into postgraduate study. Over half of the total postgraduate research population comes from England, scaling all other regional populations – including international postgraduates – by at least 15%. 

Religious Affiliation

When it comes to religious affiliation, Christianity and no religious affiliation are the most common identities in both postgraduate and undergraduate study. The proportion of postgraduates identifying as Muslim has risen from 7% to 11% between 2017/18 — 2022/23.

Employment outcomes

Among recently graduated Black postgraduates, 43% are now in full-time employment according to the Graduate Outcomes Survey as of June 2024. 7% are in part-time employment, and 6% are in full-time study. In total, 59% are in some form of full or part-time employment, work, or study. Only 2% were unemployed. For those who identify as Asian, 38% entered full-time employment, 5% are now in part-time employment, and 1% were in full-time study. In total, 51% of recent Asian graduates are in some form of full or part-time employment, work, or study. Only 2% were unemployed. 

Across all graduates with a postgraduate qualification in 2021/22, 53% are in full or part-time employment, work, or study and only 1% are unemployed. Comparatively, 4% of the UK population over 16 years of age are unemployed as of August 2024. Postgraduate education therefore offers a clear boost to employment outcomes.

Join the UK Council for Graduate Education for our 2nd UKCGE Conference on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in PG Research, focused on Race and Ethnicity in Postgraduate research. 

UKCGE’s keynote speakers will include Louise Banahene MBE — Director of Educational Engagement at University of Leeds — and Professor Tina Ramkalawan — Director of the Graduate School at Brunel University London and Trustee of UKCGE, as well as Agnes Aboagye — Doctoral Candidate at University of Nottingham — and Nadia Talukder — DPhil Student at University of Oxford. 

At the UKCGE, we believe that greater diversity in postgraduate education and research benefits everybody. It generates work that reflects current society more accurately and is fundamental to our understanding of universities as public institutions. Ensuring inclusivity in postgraduate education is at the heart of furthering our economic, scientific, and social progress.