'Ethnic Choosing': Minority ethnic students, social class and higher education choice

Abstract

There is now a considerable body of research on the issue of minority ethnic access to higher education. There is much less work done on minority ethnic students' experiences of higher education and almost none on how such students choose the higher education institution they attend. This article draws upon an Economic and Social Research Council funded study of student choice of higher education and concentrates on the analysis of a subsample of 65 minority ethnic students. Two main findings are reported. First, the processes, concerns, resources and outcomes of 'choosing' differ among the minority ethnic students in relation to social class. Class differences are more apparent and significant than minority ethnic similarities. Second, for a large minority of these students, 25 of the 65, the 'ethnic mix' of higher education institutions is one factor, among others, that influences their choice. 'Ethnic mix' is examined and discussed in the article in relation to ethnic identity.