Related
Stay up to date with our work
Our monthly updates are a great way for you to stay up to date with our work, events, and higher education news.
Last updated on Wednesday 9 Aug 2023 at 4:48pm
Our Fair admissions code of practice shows the higher education sector's commitment to fair and transparent admissions practices.
This code sets out the principles and behaviours that universities and colleges who have signed up to it follow to deliver for applicants.
This includes an admissions process that:
This code is co-owned by Universities UK and GuildHE and applies to the admission of home undergraduate students. It consists of revised principles for fair admissions developed during UUK’s Fair admissions review, and underlying behaviours that demonstrate these principles.
Universities and colleges that sign up to the code will be expected to make sure that their admissions processes follow the principles of the code with immediate effect. A list of universities and colleges that have signed up to the code can be found at the bottom of this page.
This is a living document that will be updated to best respond to future admissions challenges.
Applicants who apply to a university or college that follows this code can expect admissions processes that:
This means universities and colleges should make sure that admissions practices support student choice and do not create unnecessary pressure.
Universities and colleges should make sure that applicants have all the information they need to make an informed decision about the best course of study for them.
They should also avoid applying pressure through their offer making practices, including by avoiding the use of ‘conditional unconditional’ offers, restricting the use of unconditional offers to specific circumstances, and using incentives appropriately and transparently.
This means universities and colleges should provide the information applicants need to make the best choice for them, including the prior qualifications applicants may need, how they make their choices, and why they make certain types of offers.
This information should be made available clearly, in good time, and through appropriate channels.
This means universities and colleges use the evidence they have available to make informed decisions on applicants’ potential to succeed on a course.
This evidence can include exam results, other qualifications, relevant experience, or by using other methods of testing (such as auditions, interviews, or submitting creative portfolios).
However, applicants should also be assessed as individuals, and other contextual factors may be taken into account.
This means that the way admissions processes operate should be guided by research and good practice, and universities and colleges should be able to explain why their approach to admissions is in the applicants’ best interests.
Universities and colleges should also monitor the link between their admissions practices and the outcomes for their students.
There are some barriers to entry for applicants that have nothing to do with their potential or ability to succeed on a course, such as where they grew up or their life experiences.
Universities and colleges should minimise these barriers to entry through their admissions processes, but should be clear on how and why they do so.
This means that admissions processes should be organised in such a way that they are efficient, high-quality and provide a professional experience for applicants.
For more information on what these principles mean in practice, see the full version of the code.
Over 100 Universities UK and GuildHE members have agreed to uphold the principles and behaviours outlined in the code.
Some universities and colleges are still going through necessary internal procedures to consider signing up to the code, and this list will be regularly updated to reflect new signatories to the end of April.
This list was last updated on 9 August 2023.
Our monthly updates are a great way for you to stay up to date with our work, events, and higher education news.