Cambridge University head concerned about 'skewed' admissions

Cambridge vice-chancellor Deborah Prentice wants the university to 'serve the UK as a whole'

The vice-chancellor of Cambridge University has said she has been concerned that admissions were "skewed" towards London and south-east England.

Prof Deborah Prentice said in 2022 nearly half of Cambridge's undergraduates came from "those areas".

She said she wanted the university to "serve the UK as a whole".

Prof Prentice added that the institution wanted to attract students "whatever their background".

"In 2022 nearly half of our undergraduate students came from those areas, while just 7.7% of applications came from the north-west," said Prof Prentice.

"We want to attract the best talent and the brightest minds wherever they are, and whatever their backgrounds."

• 'I dropped out of school but now I'm at Cambridge'

Cambridge University wants to encourage applications from the north-west of England

Prof Prentice said Cambridge had made "real progress" in recent years in welcoming a "more diverse" group of students.

She said proportion of students from state schools had "risen significantly".

'More diverse'

A university spokesman said Prof Prentice had recently visited Manchester and Liverpool to speak to students, teachers and education leaders who work across the north west.

He said the trip was part of the university's "work to encourage more applications from the region".

The spokesman said the university wanted to "build on the progress" made in recent years "to welcome a more diverse group of students" to Cambridge.