In 1096, teaching activities began at the University of Oxford, the United Kingdom’s (UK) first higher education (HE) institution. That was 900 years ago—only within the last 20 years have Black students become as likely as their white peers to be accepted onto HE courses.
But while high-level data appears to show that a historic opportunity gap has closed, a deeper look suggests otherwise.
In 2014, several years after acceptance rates seemingly leveled out, Nuffield Health research identified that, after accounting for academic attainment, social class, and school type, Black and ethnic minority students (BAME) were still less likely to receive university offers.
Disparities become even clearer later in the academic journey, particularly within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Black STEM students are less likely to graduate with a first-class degree, and, compared to their White peers, a higher number do not complete their degree at all.
Those who do graduate and pursue a career in STEM continue to face imbalances; Black individuals are underrepresented across the board, making up less than 2% of academic staff in the UK, with the same reflected in industry posts.
This year’s Black History Month was themed “Honoring Our Communities,” and Technology Networks focused on the scientific community, exploring the barriers that science-curious Black children, students, academics, and scientists face when entering the field, and what needs to change.
Representation in STEM starts at school
“Give me a child until he is seven, and I will show you the man,” is a famous quote by Greek philosopher Aristotle.
Though we now appreciate that an individual’s entire future cannot be predicted solely from these years, we do understand that significant brain development occurs during this period. Therefore, it’s unsurprising that early school years leave a lasting mark on what children aspire to be when they grow up.
The role model effect is crucial during this time; young children need to see adults with relatable characteristics to believe they can achieve similar success. For children from underrepresented backgrounds, a positive role model can be even more influential, because representation isn’t a given; in close to half of schools in England, there are no teachers from a BAME background.
In a paper published in Science Education, five Black female science teachers reflected on their own academic journeys via poetry. The women remembered receiving little encouragement from school. Instead, curiosity was driven by the presence of scientific professionals in the home, while once-in-a-lifetime scholarships were essential for establishing a career in the field.
Outside of their homes, the women encountered a STEM culture in which they didn’t feel they belonged.
“Young Black girl full of wonder determination and grit. Thank you for loving science when people outside of home tried to deter you” — Dr. D’Vona Edwards, study participant.
Where representation is present, the impact is clear, with positive perceptions of STEM teachers helping young Black girls to develop more positive identities in these subjects.
Although “you have to see it to be it” plays an important role in encouraging science-curious children, the barriers to pursuing a career in STEM extend far beyond representation alone.
Are university aspirations higher among BAME youth?
In 2024, a report by the Black Equity Organization investigated challenges and inequities that Black pupils, parents, and teachers face in the UK education system; lack of empowerment, racial biases, and a failure to meet educational needs, including for Black children with special educational needs and disabilities, were all highlighted as barriers.
However, these disparities do not seem to discourage Black students from pursuing academia. In fact, one study found that young people from ethnic minorities have a greater propensity to enter HE than White British students. Interestingly, this participation gap widened with increasingly poor academic performance; over half of Black African pupils in one of the lowest attainment groups progressed to HE, while less than 10% of White British pupils did the same.
The study author, Dr. Paul Martin, senior research fellow at the Centre for Education Policy and Equalising Opportunities at the University College London, posed several questions in his review of the work, asking: “why are young people from ethnic minority backgrounds (especially those with lower attainment)—so much keener to go to university?”
Martin suggested that BAME communities may be driven to enter HE because it is viewed as “necessary to counteract the effects of racial discrimination in the labor market. Those of White ethnicity, in contrast, may enjoy more latitude to follow alternative pathways with the confidence that they are likely to fall on their feet in the end, whatever happens.”
So, what happens when Black students do overcome barriers to HE and look to enter the working world?
More Black graduates face unemployment
Six months after graduating with a STEM degree, young people from ethnic minorities are more likely to be unemployed. One review found that 14% of Black engineering graduates face unemployment after leaving university, which is double the unemployment rate for White graduates, and this is true even after adjusting for academic attainment.
Unconscious bias—automatic judgement about an individual based on their characteristics—has been presented as a driver of unequal employment opportunities. In 2011, researchers from Edge Hill University and the University of Manchester tested this theory, after acknowledging that the institution had been trying to become more diverse, through analyzing equality data, reviewing performance, and developing Positive Action initiatives, but was seeing minimal change.
“The senior management team questioned what else can be done. The common (and heartfelt) response is that ‘We advertise our vacancies; suitably qualified people apply for them, and we recruit the best person for the job,’” said the study authors.
But the research that followed their theory identified an own-race bias, with White hiring individuals three and a half times more likely to select White applicants in academic recruitment, despite matched qualifications.
“In addition, using remote eye tracking to monitor their individual gaze fixation points, I found that those doing the shortlisting unconsciously fixated on the weaker parts of the applications of candidates from different racial backgrounds to themselves,” noted lead author, Prof. Geoffrey Beattie, in his own reflection on implicit prejudice.
The team highlighted several areas for targeted intervention to reduce the likelihood of bias. For example, applications could be anonymized when practical, and quantitative scoring systems could be used to rank candidates, rather than relying on “gut feelings.” Ethnically diverse selection panels were also discussed as a potential strategy, though this would be challenging given the underrepresentation of ethnic minorities in STEM fields, creating a self-perpetuating cycle.
Career progression as a Black scientist
“I am a scientist and professor at an Ivy League university. To many, that is the pinnacle of privilege.” This is how Dr. Neil Lewis Jr, associate professor of communication, medicine, and public policy at Cornell College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, started his own reflection on what he has learned about being a Black scientist, in a 2025 letter to young scientists published in Science.
“I’m a walking example of the American dream: the poor Black boy who immigrated to the US and worked his way up to running his own lab at one of the world’s elite universities.”
But, Lewis Jr also shared the flip side in his letter: “I am not just a scientist. I am also a Black man in the US. My job may be the pinnacle of privilege. But in the country in which I do that job, scientists who look like me often have to wrestle with not just our research questions, but also with being seen—due to the color of our skin—as a problem.”
He is not alone in his experience; one study asked hundreds of Black academics about their experiences of racism within HE institutions and how these affect career progression. Participants shared examples of covert racism, that their research had been undermined, and that they must work harder than their White peers to even have a chance of achieving the same outcomes.
“I was advised by my head of department not to apply, because a White person will be preferred for the position.” — Study participant.
That study was published in 2025.
Nothing changes if nothing changes
So, while one high-level statistic might suggest that the opportunity for young Black people to enter into the field has closed, the reality is far more complex.
The meeting of lines on a graph does not represent the struggle it took to reach that point, nor does it reflect the ongoing struggles that Black graduates and scientists will face on entering HE and the working world.
While training sessions, company policies, awareness days, and moments for reflection may seem like steps in the right direction, Lewis Jr highlighted, within his article, that they do not mean anything unless taken with intention.
“…Please do work toward increasing representation in your respective part of the scientific workforce”, he commented. “But as you do that, take a long and hard look at the structures and cultures you are recruiting minoritized scientists into and change them so that they can become places where those scientists can thrive, rather than merely survive.”
He continued: “If you don’t know how to do that, do some reading. You may also want to ask your minoritized colleagues (if you have any) what would improve their experiences in your organization, and when you do that, actually listen to them.”
Confronting the reality of underrepresentation of Black scientists and STEM professionals is critical to recognizing the gaps that remain, but Black History Month also prompts reflection on the contributions that Black professionals have already made.
The New York Public Library has compiled literature, film specials, and biographies, suitable for children, young people, and adults who are looking to explore the achievements of Black professionals in STEM.
“It will take persistent and bold efforts on the part of individuals, groups, institutions, and broader society if we are to achieve anything close to equality,” concluded Lewis Jr, in his article for Science.
