Pathways, not pipelines: Social mobility in business schools

Drawing on insights shared during her presentation at Learning, Teaching & Student Experience (LTSE) 2025, Dr Pratibha Ram, SFHEA, CMBE, Assistant Professor (Lecturer) in Marketing at King’s College London, reflects on the ongoing challenges and opportunities in advancing social mobility within UK business schools. Amid widening participation efforts, she asserts that true progress lies not only in expanding access but in reshaping the student experience centred on belonging, progression, and meaningful outcomes. Drawing on recent research and sector engagement, this piece advocates for a shift from pipeline models to inclusive, sustained pathways that support students from economically marginalised backgrounds throughout their journey in business education.

As many business schools celebrate another semester of widening participation, the sector’s commitment to access appears evident. Yet, for first-generation, low-income, and marginalised students, the journey often ‘begins’ not ‘ends’ at the point of admission (Office for Students, 2024). As recent research highlights, genuine social mobility extends far beyond admissions figures; it encompasses the entire journey from entry through graduation and into meaningful employment. This is what defines true social progress (HEPI, 2025). Rethinking social mobility requires moving beyond the traditional “pipeline” model, which privileges entry statistics, towards creating more comprehensive pathways that recognise the unique challenges and assets every student brings (UPP Foundation, 2025). Such a shift calls for collaborative action to shape environments that foster not only academic achievement but also well-being, belonging, and long-term opportunity.

Identity dilemmas

Navigating business school means facing both visible and invisible barriers, pressures to fit in with more privileged peers, and learning the unspoken rules around confidence, networking, and financial ease. Many students struggle to locate themselves within institutional cultures, often uncertain about what it truly means to belong in a business school, especially within elite institutions (Office for Students, 2024).For students from low-income or underrepresented backgrounds, these feelings are intensified by a sense of “otherness,” and by institutional cultures that subtly mark them as different (Advance HE, 2022; Social Mobility Commission, 2024). These experiences are further compounded by intersectional identities: for women, students from racially or ethnically minoritised groups, disabled students, or those with mental health needs, the pressures can be even more acute (Public First, 2025). Many face the risk of impostor syndrome doubting their right to belong or feeling the need to continuously prove themselves. In response, some students feel pressure to mask their backgrounds, hiding aspects of their identity in order to blend in. While this masking may ease day-to-day navigation, it often comes at a personal cost: undermining authenticity, wellbeing, and self-confidence. The traditional “pipeline” approach, which celebrates admissions numbers, risks overlooking these realities. Emotional labour, social navigation, and financial stress are everyday experiences for many, particularly those with intersecting identities (Sutton Trust, 2021).

Fostering belonging

True social mobility is more than just access; it is about ensuring all students have the conditions to truly thrive. Increasingly, business schools are recognising the impact of the “hidden curriculum” the unspoken cultural codes and social expectations that dictate who feels included and who does not (UPP Foundation, 2025; Social Mobility Commission, 2024). Challenging these barriers demands intentional, sustained, and collective action across the sector. Co-creation is central to this process. When schools work in partnership with students to design mentoring programmes, staff–student collaboration projects, and identity-affirming communities, the resulting interventions are not only more effective—they are more equitable. Embedding financial support, inclusive pedagogy, and robust well-being resources into the core student experience alongside representation in teaching content and mentorship that reflects students’ identities can yield significant gains. Equitable assessment design and accessible extracurricular opportunities offer all students a fair chance to build confidence and demonstrate capability. These measures (HEPI, 2025; UPP Foundation, 2025) help shift the burden away from individual resilience and toward institutions, enabling students to focus on learning and self-development.

Pathways, not pipelines

A sector-wide shift is underway, from a focus on admissions pipelines to the creation of genuine pathway structures that support each stage of the student journey, from induction to graduation and into meaningful employment. This requires schools, staff, students, and employers to share responsibility for fostering inclusive environments where every student feels valued and supported. Measuring progress means looking beyond entry rates to include belonging, progression, graduate outcomes, and lived experience. This broader definition of success can help identify which approaches are working and where further attention is needed (Chartered ABS, 2024; Social Mobility Commission, 2024). Transparent data sharing, alumni feedback, and ongoing sector-wide collaboration are key to ensuring social mobility becomes a collective and sustainable endeavour.

Business schools are in a strong position to lead the next phase of social mobility, not just by widening access, but by working together to create genuine pathways to success for all students. This means placing identity, belonging, and holistic support at the centre of their mission, so that every student, including those from low-income backgrounds, feels valued and included throughout their journey. The journey from “pipelines” to “pathways” is not yet complete. But by working together across institutions and sectors, UK business education can make inclusive success not just inclusive access a defining feature of its future.

References

• Office for Students. (2024). A statistical overview of higher education in England.

• HEPI. (2025). 2024 English Social Mobility Index.

• UPP Foundation. (2025). Towards a New Mission for Widening Participation.

• Advance HE. (2022). Closing Awarding Gaps.

• Social Mobility Commission. (2024). State of the Nation 2024: Social Mobility and Inequality in the UK.

• Public First. (2025). New research exposes extent of regional gaps in higher education aspirations.

• Sutton Trust. (2021). Universities and Social Mobility: Summary Report.

• Chartered ABS. (2024). Business schools as engines of social mobility.