Independent school pupils earn a lot more than state school pupils, reports the Telegraph. Fresh research from academics at Kent University and the LSE demonstrates that independent school pupils earn 30% more over their working life than state school pupils and that the gap is wider than it was 50 years ago.

The study looked at data from 10,000 Britons and compared their earnings, schooling, qualifications, family background, age and where they were from. Background differences apparently made up 10% of the gap but the higher grades students get in independent schools accounts for the remaining 20%.

Richard Murphy of the LSE and co-author of the study, confirmed that the gap was mainly due to the better grades independent school students tended to attain, especially in maths and science, mean better degrees at better universities like Oxford or Cambridge - a big factor for employers.