Addressing racial inequalities in higher education: equity, inclusion and social justice

Inequalities in higher education continue to exist in access to certain types of universities and in degree attainment. Despite significant changes in policy making and the student body such inequalities remain pervasive. In this essay, I explore how inequalities in access to elite universities continue to exist for those from black and minority ethnic backgrounds, in both the UK and the USA. I suggest that gaining a place at an elite university is related to access to social and cultural capital. In order to address these inequalities, we must question and challenge a system that values class and status which continues to serve the needs of the few rather than the many.