<p>Evidence of institutional discrimination in the labor market suggests that university prestige can lead to an unequal distribution of employment opportunities. However, empirical evidence on how university prestige affects equitable access to educational resources during the academic phase is still lacking. This study addresses this gap through an email delivery experiment, simulating students from elite and ordinary universities emailing faculty with academic inquiries. The responses were collected and analyzed to assess whether university tier influences students’ access to academic resources. The results show that students from elite universities receive significantly higher response rates, faster replies, more detailed feedback, and friendlier responses compared to those from ordinary universities. They are also more likely to receive substantive answers and reference materials. Further analysis indicates that professors, faculty from top-tier cities, and those from Double First-Class universities are more likely to prioritize responses to students from elite universities, highlighting the role of these factors in the distribution of academic resources. This study uncovers structural barriers in the allocation of academic resources that have received scant attention in prior research and proposes systemic reforms at the institutional level to enhance the accessibility and equality of academic resources acquisition.</p>