New figures reveal the “pervasive regional divide” in the numbers of students from different parts of the country who get onto university courses.
Analysis of UCAS data reveals students in part of the North are far outnumbered on many degree courses - including prestigious subjects such as medicine and maths.
The biggest gulf can be found between London and the North East, according to a new Press Association investigation.
The capital has three times as many adults living in it as the North East.
However, in many subject areas, the numbers going to university from London compared with the North East far outstrips this.
Last year, 245 students from the North East (4 per cent of all acceptances for the subject) took up places to study medicine and dentistry, compared with 1,585 students from London (24 per cent). This means there was a 20-point gulf between the regions.
The gap is even larger for business and administration at 25 points, with just 3 per cent of acceptances for this subject area coming from the North East (1,445 students), compared with 28 per cent (12,645 students) from London.
Sir Peter Lampl, founder of the social mobility charity the Sutton Trust said the figures highlight “a worrying picture of a consistent and pervasive regional divide in access to university”.
He said: “Talent isn’t dependent on where you grow up, so it’s just not right that your chances of studying certain subjects at university are.
“We have to do more to widen opportunities for talented teenagers in areas like the North East to access our best universities.”
He called for more use of contextual admissions - whereby universities take into account an applicant’s background when making offers - as well as more outreach work.
The new figures show more than one in five (21 per cent) of all students taking up degree places last autumn were from the capital, while just 4 per cent were from the North East of England - a gap of 17 percentage points.
Figures show that across all subjects, 16,420 students from the North East were accepted on to courses last year, compared to 81,385 from the capital.
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) said the new Press Association figures on university places “reflect a familiar and deeply concerning pattern of reduced life chances in parts of the country suffering from high levels of disadvantage and lack of opportunity”.
He said: “Schools in disadvantaged areas frequently face extremely challenging circumstances, struggling to recruit and retain teachers and leaders, and too often labelled as failing by a draconian accountability system which stigmatises them.
“These areas and their schools need more targeted support. We welcome the government initiative to boost education in 12 opportunity areas in England, but it is nowhere near enough. There are no opportunity areas in the North East, for instance.
“And schools cannot on their own turn round deeply entrenched disadvantage.
“These communities also need social and economic programmes which support families and provide more opportunities for secure, well-paid employment. Their young people need to believe they can succeed.”
The figures come amid continued debate about a North-South divide, with concerns raised in some quarters about opportunities for young people living in parts of the North of England.
Earlier this month George Osborne called on the government to make improving education outcomes for children in the North a major priority.
He appeared before the Education Select Committee as chairman of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership.
The former chancellor said the government should ensure the same number of pupils attend good and outstanding schools in the North of England as there are in London.
Earlier this year, children’s commissioner Anne Longfield called for a “concerted effort” to improve schools in the North, in order to close “huge gaps” between the poorest northern pupils and those in London.
Her report said that London children who are eligible for free school meals are twice as likely to go to university as those in the North, and 40 per cent more likely to achieve a good maths and English GCSE, the report states.
A Department for Education spokeswoman said: “Universities should be open for everyone with the talent and potential, regardless of their background or where they live.
“More people than ever before are going to university and entry rates for 18-year-olds from the North East increased by 26 per cent between 2010 and 2017.
“We know there is more to do. That’s why the Office for Students has introduced a national programme giving £120 million to 29 projects working in areas where there are low levels of young people going onto higher education.”
She added that the government has launched a Northern Powerhouse Schools Strategy, and committed £70 million to improving school performance in the north.
