Ratings explained: First Generation

The Good Universities Guide is committed to educating its audience about the importance of our university rankings and ratings, which are crucial for informing prospective students about their education options. Over the next few months, we will be going through each rating individually and highlighting the institutions that are excelling in this area. 

What is First Generation?

The First Generation rating represents the proportion of domestic students commencing a bachelor degree whose parents’ education is known and did not exceed Year 12 schooling. These students are the first in a generation to attend university and many will be the first ever in their family to attend university. 

Why does this matter to me?

All universities are striving to make higher education more accessible to people from different backgrounds and circumstances. The Good Universities Guide aims to celebrate universities that are delivering tertiary education to demographics that are traditionally under-represented. 

Which university led the way for First Generation?

Victoria University was among the best performed institutions for First Generation, achieving a five-star rating. Vice President of Learning and Teaching Ian Solomonides provided The Good Universities Guide with some context around the metric. 

“Nearly 40 per cent of Victoria University (VU) students are the first in their families to go to university. Many of our students come to us from our heartland of Melbourne’s west, which contains areas with relatively high levels of socio-economic disadvantage and many newly arrived Australians,” he said. 

“VU has long advocated for and is proud to support traditionally under-represented groups of students, including those whose education aspirations and opportunities are outside the experiences of their families. One of our core missions is to provide education opportunities to students from all backgrounds, regardless of their education history.”

What other institutions performed well for First Generation?