In recent decades the proportion of people entering tertiary education has grown considerably in all western European countries. Common factors (economic, political and social) have contributed towards this expansion. There is considerable debate about whether these common pressures have led to similar changes across countries in the structure, content and student composition of tertiary education. This study aims to analyse changes over time in the patterns of tertiary entrance in Ireland, the Netherlands and Scotland, and to explore whether a process of convergence is emerging despite the institutional differences which characterise the national educational systems of these three countries. The results show that the extent and the modalities of tertiary expansion in the three countries have been different. Moreover, changes in the effect of ascriptive factors (gender and social class) on tertiary entrance also appear to have followed different patterns in each country. The conclusion therefore suggests that, although there is a general increase in entry to tertiary education in all three countries, there is little evidence at present of convergence. Appended are: (1) Tables derived from figures 1-8. (Contains 10 tables, 8 figures and 21 notes.)