Why are girls less likely than boys to apply for top universities?

Boys are more likely to apply for Oxbridge and other top universities than their female classmates, according to new research, prompting questions about why this gender gap exists.

A study by University College London’s Institute of Education found 15-year-old boys had more ambitious goals for university than girls of the same age, even when they had come from similar family backgrounds, attended the same school and performed equally well in exams.

Dr Nikki Shure, one of the report’s authors, told The Independent the gender gap between students applying for Oxbridge could be linked to girls having less confidence because they've faced sexism during their early years.