Place Matters: How UCL is tackling geographical barriers to higher education

Where you grow up can shape your access to higher education. In October and December 2025, UCL’s Access and Widening Participation (AWP) Schools and Regional Engagement team visited 32 schools across nine regions of the UK, bringing the Regional Roadshow directly into classrooms to help reduce geographical barriers to opportunity.

Now in its third consecutive year, the UCL Regional Roadshow is designed to provide tailored information, advice, and guidance to support students with higher education applications and their transition into university.

Why regional engagement matters

Across the UK, access to opportunities varies widely by location, affecting educational attainment, higher education and employment outcomes. In 2023-24, 60.6% of young people in London progressed to higher education nationally, compared with just 46% in the East Midlands. (DoE Widening Participation in Education 2023-24 Annual Statistics)

That gap matters. Our Regional Roadshow programme is designed to help address it. By working closely with schools outside of London, it equips pupils with the knowledge, tools and confidence to help them take the next step into higher education.

This work builds on a long-standing commitment at UCL. The very first UCL Access Agreement, published in 2001, acknowledged the difficulties of widening participation at UCL for pupils living outside of London and the South East. Since then, increased investment in scholarships and bursaries, alongside the development of digital and in-person outreach events, has transformed our programme and enabled our regional engagement to reach further than ever before.

What happens on the Regional Roadshow?

Our regional engagement team travel across the UK, often over several days, to work with as many schools as possible. Participating schools can choose from a range of interactive workshop options, including choosing the right university course, understanding student finance and money management and navigating the UCAS process. Workshops are primarily for Years 12 and 13, with a dedicated Year 11 session focused on revision strategies and choosing A Levels.

The aim of each workshop is simple: to give pupils the tools they need to apply for, and succeed at, university. Feedback consistently highlights the impact of the programme. One participating teacher said:

“The workshops were both useful and informative, providing valuable insights that our students greatly appreciated. Your efforts will help broaden our students’ understanding of higher education pathways and inspire them to think ambitiously about their futures."

The future of regional engagement

Regional engagement remains an important part of UCL’s Access and Widening Participation (AWP) work. In 2023-24:

• 39% of participants in AWP events and programmes were from outside London
• 58% of schools engaged were located outside of Greater London

While UCL’s place-based work through the flagship UCL East campus remains central, these figures show the growing reach and impact of our work across the UK.

The Regional Roadshow will return for its fourth year in 2026. UCL’s Access and Widening Participation team welcomes interest from new schools. Teachers and teaching staff can sign up to our mailing list to be notified about the next iteration of the Regional Roadshow, taking place from October 2026, as well as other UCL events.

Further links

This article is featured as part of the WP25 campaign, celebrating 25 years of Access and Widening Participation work at UCL. You can find out more via the WP25 webpage.