Student diversity, university rankings and the positioning of Russell Group universities

This paper presents insights into English universities’ student diversity profiles, based on data from the Times and Sunday Times 2024 (TST2024) Social Inclusion Index. Typically excluded from league tables and rankings, TST2024 supplemented its Good University Guide with an additional ranking based on undergraduate socio-economic and socio-demographic student characteristics, dropout rates and the Black attainment gap. Analyses demonstrate a negative correlation between the TST2024 general league table score and its specific social inclusion score, indicating that highly ranked universities tend to score lower on social inclusion. However, not all social inclusion indicators correlate with the league table score to the same strength. Additionally, nuances in student diversity profiles between Russell Group members exist. Several non-Russell Group institutions score lower on social inclusion in comparison with some Russell Group members. This paper also contributes to ongoing debates on the role of university league tables, especially considering the rapid expansion of alternative rankings.