Our commitment to social mobility
Our multi-faceted approach to social mobility is ensuring that students can access higher education and experience

“We have a proud heritage of working with communities to foster aspiration and ambition. These principles are embedded not only in our work in the UK, but also in our international strategy with academic partnerships around the world providing opportunities for our students but also supporting the development of higher education in those countries.”
Professor Judith Petts CBE, Vice-Chancellor
In 2018/19, 94.6% of the University’s entrants were from state schools, of which 14.8% were new entrants from low participation neighbourhoods.
During the 2018/19 academic year the University undertook more than 385 outreach activities, interacting with more than 18,000 individuals across a range of areas, backgrounds and locations. In addition, through our wider public and cultural engagement activities, the University reached out to hundreds of schools and thousands of minds – both young and mature.
Examples of our targeted activities
The University is the lead institution for the Next Steps South West (NSSW) programme, working with 13 universities and further education colleges throughout Devon, Cornwall and Somerset to raise aspirations, awareness and access to higher education for students aged 13 to 19.
The University has a very long history of involvement in academic partnerships extending back over 40 years. Starting with developing higher education provision with further education colleges in the South West, this now includes transnational education and an on-campus international college
Our foundation year provision differs from that offered through our FE partners:
Plymouth’s Faculty of Health is a cross-disciplinary health faculty which focuses on delivery of integrative, innovative and inclusive healthcare education to educate the next generation of health professionals, regionally and beyond.
As part of its approach to developing alternative routes to higher education, the University is offering and developing higher and degree apprenticeships to provide a cheaper alternative to degree-level study, that supports the apprentice to obtain a higher qualification whilst earning and without the need to pay tuition fees.
The Universities of Plymouth and Exeter are part of the consortium to be awarded the South West Institute of Technology: one of 12 to be approved by the DfE, sharing a budget of £170 million. The SW Institute project aims to boost digital, engineering and manufacturing technology education in the region.
The IoT is supported by the Heart of the South West LEP and Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly LEP.
Sir Michael Barber, Chair of the OfS, which is the independent regulator of higher education in England, met with representatives and students from all levels of the institution to discuss how the University is supporting social mobility in the South West and raising the aspirations of school children, young people and other prospective students around the world.
Universities are so much more than degree-awarding seats of learning. They are drivers for economic innovation and advancement, catalysts for social change and champions of cultural development.
Our socio-economic impact from the City of Plymouth to a global scale
Plymouth: a civic university