During Freshers, many students noticed that they were either the only northerner or were part of a small majority of northerners within their flat. However, despite the lack of northerners at Newcastle University, most people that I went to school with have stayed in the North for higher education. In fact, the desire that northerners have to avoid the South has been highlighted by Cambridge University, which has noticed that northerners are hesitant to apply due to concerns that they will feel out of place.
"London is the wealthiest area of the UK, meaning that families have the privilege of sending their children to university with less concern about student loans and debts after graduation."
The clearest explanation for the multitude of southern university students is the difference between the educational opportunity in the North and South. In 2025, the region with most successful UCAS applications was London, with 51% of its students being accepted into higher education: for the rest of the UK, this figure sat at 30-40%. There is also a significantly larger proportion of private schools in Greater London, who undoubtedly parcel off their graduates into higher education at a greater rate than state schools. Coincidentally, this also aligns with the socio-economic differences present between the North and South. London is the wealthiest area of the UK, meaning that families have the privilege of sending their children to university with less concern about student loans and debts after graduation. Many southern families with access to lower funds may also send their children to university in the North, given that the cost of living is significantly lower than that of the South. In addition to this, more students in the north are choosing to do apprenticeships instead of university degrees - the fastest growing regions of the UK for young people choosing construction apprenticeships are the North West and the East Midlands.
"As a Classics student I am surrounded by people from the South, given that the majority of public schools do not offer classical history as a subject at A level."
Furthermore, there is significant variability surrounding the number of northerners you encounter depending on the course you are studying. As a Classics student I am surrounded by people from the South, given that the majority of public schools do not offer classical history as a subject at A level. Classics is a more niche career path which is predominantly embarked upon by those who have come from private education. For those studying courses for which every secondary school offers the precursors, such as STEM subjects like Biomedical Science, there is a much higher probability of having a more inclusive mix of northern and southern students.
However, it is the mindset which university students have that is important. In 2024, the BBC produced an article which focused on the discrimination towards working class students at Edinburgh University, who asked those from more privileged backgrounds, which are often associated with the South, to avoid being “snobs”. Within this investigation, students commented on the “accent bias” they had encountered, believing that their level of intelligence was assumed by others based on their dialect. Ultimately, I would conclude that the issue does not necessarily arise from where university students are from, but rather how they treat others in their educational environment. Students from northern heritage are just as capable of displaying these views to those who come from less privileged backgrounds.
"If anything, it makes me proud to know that I have been able to attend university despite coming from an underprivileged area and attending a state school."
Despite the content of this article, I personally do not feel out of place in a northern university as someone who was born in the north; I believe that university has become a place for anyone who is simply passionate about their subject and hardworking. If anything, it makes me proud to know that I have been able to attend university despite coming from an underprivileged area and attending a state school. I still have the ability to study what I love, which is an attitude that I think all Newcastle students should feel during their education here.