Transparency information
Introduction
Birkbeck is publishing this ‘Transparency information’ under guidance from the Office for Students. This is degree attainment (i.e. the classification of degree achieved) by students studying at Birkbeck.
This information appears in the tables below. There is also a link to a spreadsheet containing more detailed information.
The Birkbeck context
Birkbeck, University of London is an evening university, predominantly delivering teaching from 6pm to 9pm, retaining our historic mission to educate working Londoners. We are proud to be a university that opens its doors to people who may otherwise not be able to study.
We have maintained our commitment to enabling access for mature students, while also diversifying and increasing the number of younger students, through our full-time undergraduate evening degrees. We continue to be a widening access institution and a significant voice for the high proportion of our students coming from underrepresented groups. We remain committed to driving this agenda in the higher education sector.
The transparency information on attainment shows that, in common with the university sector as a whole, there are significant gaps in attainment between students from different backgrounds. At Birkbeck, these gaps in attainment have narrowed in recent years. Closing them further is a strategic priority for us and our plans to address this are outlined in our Access and Participation Plan.
We have conducted an extensive research project into factors associated with academic performance at Birkbeck and are implementing an action plan to further reduce gaps in attainment between student groups.
The transparency information on admissions shows that Birkbeck students reflect London itself, with around half our undergraduate students coming from BAME backgrounds, and more than half coming from relatively socially-deprived backgrounds.
Advice from the Office for Students
The information published on this page shows the number of students who attained a particular degree or other academic award, or a particular level of such an award, on completion of their course with us.
It also shows these numbers by reference to:
- the gender of the individuals to which they relate
- their ethnicity
- their socioeconomic background.
It is important to note that the data presented has not been contextualised. This means, for example, that you will not be able to see from this data how many of those applying to courses met the entry criteria. It is also the case that universities and colleges will often receive many more applications than they have spaces on courses, and so offer rates will necessarily be lower than application rates in those circumstances.
TRANSPARENCY INFORMATION 2023
ATTAINMENT OF 2021-22 QUALIFIERS
Provider: Birkbeck College
UKPRN: 10007760
Table 1a: Percentage of classified first degrees at grade 2:1 or above by characteristic for 2021-22 qualifiers
| Characteristic | Characteristic split | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Ethnicity | Ethnic minorities | 62% |
| White | 82% | |
| EIMD 2019 quintile | 1 and 2 | 67% |
| 3 to 5 | 75% | |
| Sex | Female | 75% |
| Male | 65% | |
| Other | N |
Table 1b: Detailed information on attainment for 2021-22 qualifiers
Full-time students
| Characteristic | Characteristic split | Head count of classified First Degrees awarded | Percentage of First Degrees awarded as first class | Percentage of First Degrees awarded as upper second class | Percentage of First Degrees awarded as lower second class | Percentage of First Degrees awarded as third class/pass | Headcount of other undergraduate awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ethnicity | Asian | 90 | 15% | 50% | 30% | 5% | N |
| Black | 90 | 15% | 30% | 50% | 5% | N | |
| Mixed | 50 | 25% | 45% | 25% | 5% | N | |
| White | 260 | 35% | 45% | 15% | 5% | 30 | |
| Other | 30 | 20% | 40% | 40% | DP | N | |
| Unknown | 50 | 15% | 35% | 25% | 25% | 50 | |
| EIMD 2019 quintile | 1 | 110 | 25% | 30% | 35% | 10% | N |
| 2 | 190 | 20% | 45% | 25% | 5% | 40 | |
| 3 | 120 | 20% | 40% | 30% | 5% | 30 | |
| 4 | 90 | 25% | 55% | 15% | 5% | N | |
| 5 | 40 | 30% | 40% | 25% | DP | N | |
| N/A | N | N | N | N | N | N | |
| Unknown | N | N | N | N | N | N | |
| Sex | Female | 330 | 24% | 48% | 24% | 4% | 50 |
| Male | 240 | 23% | 38% | 30% | 9% | 70 | |
| Other | N | N | N | N | N | N |
Part-time students
| Characteristic | Characteristic split | Headcount of classified First Degrees awarded | Percentage of First Degrees awarded as first class | Percentage of First Degrees awarded as upper second class | Percentage of First Degrees awarded as lower second class | Percentage of First Degrees awarded as third class/pass | Headcount of other undergraduate awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ethnicity | Asian | 50 | 35% | 30% | 30% | DP | 40 |
| Black | 40 | 25% | 45% | 25% | 5% | 30 | |
| Mixed | 30 | 25% | 35% | 25% | 15% | 30 | |
| White | 180 | 45% | 40% | 15% | 0% | 210 | |
| Other | N | N | N | N | N | N | |
| Unknown | N | N | N | N | N | 120 | |
| EIMD 2019 quintile | 1 | 50 | 35% | 35% | 25% | 5% | 50 |
| 2 | 110 | 30% | 40% | 25% | 5% | 140 | |
| 3 | 90 | 35% | 40% | 15% | 10% | 100 | |
| 4 | 50 | 45% | 40% | 15% | DP | 70 | |
| 5 | 30 | 55% | 35% | 10% | DP | 70 | |
| N/A | N | N | N | N | N | N | |
| Unknown | N | N | N | N | N | N | |
| Gender | Female | 170 | 39% | 43% | 14% | 5% | 280 |
| Male | 160 | 33% | 37% | 25% | 5% | 160 | |
| Other | N | N | N | N | N | N |
Note: There were no unclassified degrees awarded, or apprenticeship students among 2021-22 qualifiers at Birkbeck.
Key
- N/A: No provision in a given mode and level
- N: 20 or fewer students in this population
- DP: Data suppressed for data protection reasons
For full details, please see the 'Rounding and suppression' tab of the full data spreadsheet.