PwC, one of the leading graduate employers in the United Kingdom, has announced that it will no longer seek candidates with a first or second-class degree.

The company stated that accepting applicants with lower second-class degrees will boost its workforce’s socioeconomic diversity.

PwC stated that talent and potential are determined by more than academic ratings.

Approximately 17% of university graduates obtain a grade of the second class or lower.

Universities in the United Kingdom confer four types of degrees: a first, an upper second (2:1), a lower second (2:2), and a third class honors. Professional services organizations, such as large city accounting and legal firms, have always required students to have a 2:1 or higher.

PwC stated that it was eliminating the requirement for all of its graduate employment, internships, and placements to increase social mobility and increase access to opportunities.

“Academic excellence has its role, but far too many kids are influenced by other circumstances,” said Ian Elliott, PwC’s chief people officer.

“This decision is not primarily aimed at recruiting more applicants, but rather at exposing our roles to students from a wider variety of backgrounds, including those from low-income households,” he explained.