Debates about access and success are currently vigorous in higher education. There is much greater equity in terms of access but success in higher education continues to be racially patterned and far too few students graduate. This article argues for a more selective approach to access that is driven more deliberately by the need for increased success rates. It argues that higher education is carrying too much of the burden of expectation that it is the only viable route to economic participation for young people and thus that the demand for access is inappropriate.