More than half of firms only hire from top universities, finds research by recruiters Barrington Hibbert Associates.

Financial services in general are seen as the most 'elitist', with Oxford and Cambridge graduates topping their list - and the same was happening in the accountancy, engineering and healthcare sectors.

The study, which surveyed 1,600 hiring managers from some of the top UK industries, discovered that 41% of law firms and around a quarter of accountancy, banking and insurance companies admitted they are unlikely to hire anyone without a degree.