University accessibility has been argued to create educational inequalities based on place of residence. While previous studies have analyzed the cross-sectional relationship between accessibility and enrollment, there is limited evidence on how increases in university accessibility affect individuals’ enrollment. Using multiple social survey data for the 1942–1996 cohorts combined with population census data from Japan, we examine how longitudinal changes in university accessibility in individuals’ residential and neighboring prefectures affect the likelihood of enrollment and how this effect varies by individuals’ socioeconomic background. The results show that increased university accessibility is positively associated with university enrollment. The association is stronger for individuals whose parents are relatively lower class, but no such differences are found in terms of parental education. These findings suggest that increased accessibility to universities in underserved areas can reduce spatial inequality in enrollment, but has a limited impact on inequality based on individuals’ social origin.