Research from the University of London's Institute of Education has found that graduates from elite universities are four times more likely to earn the highest salaries. Close to 20% of graduates from top universities from the mid-1990s earn over £90,000 per year, whereas only 5% from former polytechnics do. It was also found that 33% of the elite university graduates surveyed own their home outright, compared to 21% of other university graduates, and 13% of non graduates, which suggests that a degree from a poor university is still better than no degree at all.

More worryingly, is that 51% of state school students, and 35% of independent school students believe that graduate earnings are uninfluenced by their choice of higher education institute. This is leading to many students still not aiming for the highest universities. One hundred schools still provide a third of Oxbridge entrants.

Research has also shown that teachers in state schools are less likely to emphasise the differences between universities than their counterparts in independent schools.

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