Elite Universities Quietly Shut the Door on Working-Class Language Degrees

Languages were the rare degree where state-school students without private tutoring could compete at Oxford and Cambridge. Oxford admitted half its language applicants but 1 in 17 economists. Now Nottingham becomes the first Russell Group university to eliminate languages entirely. Exeter is cutting 70+ language posts. Former education secretary Estelle Morris warns: affluent students will study languages abroad; poorer students won't.