Study Reveals 12% Lower Response Rate for Maghrebian Master’s Applicants in French Universities

Sylvain Chareyron, Louis-Alexandre Erb and Yannick L’Horty, all researchers at the Université Gustave Eiffel, conducted, for the first time last spring, a study on possible discrimination around access to Master’s programs at university. They targeted 19 universities, the training managers of 607 Masters and sent them nearly 2,000 emails, reports France Inter. The academics tested two criteria: disability and Maghrebian surname. They sent three almost identical emails to these managers. These were emails from fictional Maghrebian candidates or people with a severe physical disability containing requests for information on the courses and their registration procedures.

"We did not find a significant difference in treatment for students who mention a severe physical disability. On the other hand, students presumed to be of Maghrebian origin are overall penalized compared to students presumed to be Franco-French, because they are less often answered by being given the procedure to follow to register," details Yannick L’Horty. "Thanks to the observation of the data according to the sectors and a questionnaire that we then sent to the managers, we have identified several risk factors. The more attractive a Master’s program is, and therefore very selective, the greater the risk. It also appears that where the selection of files is done by isolated individuals and not as part of a collective process, the risk of discrimination is greater," he adds. The researcher is meeting with actors in the academic world or involved in the fight against discrimination on Tuesday to launch a National Observatory of Discrimination and Equality in Higher Education (ONDES).

The study reveals that fictional Maghrebian candidates (all sectors combined) have a 12% lower chance of getting a response. Compared to the figure (25%) in the labor market, particularly job applications, this figure is less alarming. As for scientific Masters, Maghrebian candidates have a 20% lower chance of receiving a response, the study report specifies. "When the principles of equality and diversity are undermined, of course we have to be concerned about it. We can’t brush off these results with a wave of the hand. We have to see how we can maybe use this tool to continue monitoring, and work on the risk factors identified through this study," commented Manuel Tunon de Lara, head of France Universités, which represents university presidents, on this study, calling for awareness.