Hidden Drivers of Choice for Underrepresented Students

Cosmos Admin 15 Apr 2026

Project Overview

A national study with leading UK universities | 2026 |

Read Time

4–6 minutes

About this page

This overview is for anyone who would like to understand more about the Hidden Drivers of Choice research study, its aims, and its intended impact. It focuses on what this research means for young people and for the wider higher education community.

1. Background and Context

Higher education is navigating a period of real change. The students arriving at the doors of our universities are more diverse, more varied in their routes, and arguably more complex in their experiences than at any point before. And yet the assumptions that shape how higher education communicates with, and supports prospective students, have not always kept pace with that reality.

For many young people, the decision about whether to pursue higher education is shaped by experiences that go far beyond grades and geography. Financial pressure, caring responsibilities, confidence, prior educational experience, and varying levels of adversity and trauma all play a role. These are the hidden drivers. The factors that sit at the heart of how many students navigate one of the biggest decisions of their lives, but that rarely surface in traditional research conversations.

Widening participation has been a sustained priority for the sector for many years, and real progress has been made. But understanding that ambition needs to be matched by understanding. The insight that institutions and policymakers rely on to support underrepresented students often reflects what students say they care about, rather than the deeper motivations that actually drive their decisions.

Hidden Drivers of Choice sets out to close that gap.

2. About the Study

Hidden Drivers of Choice is a national research study exploring what underrepresented students really value when making decisions about higher education. Not what is assumed they value — what students themselves, through their own lived experiences, actually weigh up when deciding whether higher education is for them, and where they might go.

Student-grounded

Built on the actual experiences and voices of underrepresented learners, not assumptions about what they need.

Statistically robust

Combining qualitative depth with large-scale quantitative analysis, producing findings that are rigorous, reliable, and nationally benchmarked.

Trauma-informed

Designed with specialist oversight to ensure every element of the research is ethical, sensitive, and safe for every participant.

3. What the Research is Exploring

The study is designed to go beyond surface-level data. It explores the experiences that genuinely shape how underrepresented students think about, and decide on, higher education. This includes:

What underrepresented students truly value when considering whether and where to study

How experiences of adversity, trauma, or uncertainty influence confidence, aspiration, and decision-making towards higher education

Which factors most strongly predict whether a student intends to apply to/accept a place at higher education

How decision-making differs across different groups of underrepresented learners

What students feel institutions understand about them, and where they feel misunderstood

This study is about understanding underrepresented students more deeply, so that higher education can respond more meaningfully to their actual experiences and needs. When institutions genuinely understand the students they serve, they are better placed to respond to their actual needs.

That is good for students and that is good for higher education.

4. How the Research Works

Phase 1: Qualitative Research

The study begins with discussion groups, bringing together underrepresented students to explore their experiences in depth. These conversations are designed to be open and student-led. They ensure that the language and priorities that matter to students shape what the research explores, rather than imposing an institutional frame on the questions being asked.

Phase 2: Quantitative Research

Large-scale research captures three layers of insight: what students say they prioritise, which factors statistically predict their likelihood of applying to/accept a place in higher education, and how their responses compare to a national benchmark. The research is designed to be accessible, sensitive, and respectful of participants’ time and experiences.

Analysis and Insight

Advanced statistical techniques are used to identify the factors that most strongly shape decision-making. This produces insight that is not only descriptive, but genuinely informed about the drivers that matter most, enabling the sector to respond with greater precision and care.

A note on our trauma-informed approach

For many underrepresented students, experiences of adversity, instability, or trauma are not peripheral to their higher education journey. They can be central to it. Every element of this study is designed with that understanding in mind. A specialist trauma consultant, Miranda Arieh, is overseeing the research design and delivery to ensure the process is ethical, safe, and respectful of every participant’s experience.

5. The Research Consortium

Hidden Drivers of Choice is led by Cosmos, specialists in educational research with two decades of experience in widening participation, advanced statistical analysis, and trauma-informed practice. The study is conducted in partnership with three leading UK universities, each of which brings deep expertise in supporting underrepresented learners.

6. What Will Be Shared

The research is designed to benefit the wider education community, not just the institutions directly involved. On completion of the study, a public top line Executive Summary of the findings will be made available, providing the sector with accessible, actionable insight into what underrepresented students value and what shapes their decision-making.

The findings will also be presented at sector conferences and shared through sector publications, ensuring they reach practitioners, policymakers, and institutions across the UK.

7. Find Out More

If you would like to know more about the Hidden Drivers of Choice study, or to discuss how the findings might be relevant to your institution or organisation, please get in touch.

Download the PDF of this overview

Website	www.cosmosltd.uk
Email	hello@cosmosltd.uk
Telephone	0113 887 0191
Address	Nexus, University of Leeds, Discovery Way, Leeds LS2 3AA

Real student voices. Real student experiences.
Real insight into the realities young people face today.

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