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A record number of students have been accepted onto university or college courses as 18-year-olds celebrate A-levelresults day.
Hundreds of thousands of pupils across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland discovered their A-level and AS-level results on Thursday morning, with many finding out if they secured a place on a course.
New Ucas data reveals 255,130 UK 18-year-olds have been accepted into university or college, compared to 243,650 in 2024, marking a rise of almost 5 per cent (4.7 per cent).
Overall, the figures show 82 per cent of those holding an offer who received their decision on Thursday morning have been placed on their first choice, the same proportion as last year.
In total, Ucas said 439,180 applicants have been accepted, marking an increase of more than 3 per cent (3.1 per cent) on 425,860 last year – the highest number of placed students on results day on record.
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Students receive their A-level results at Solihill School on Thursday(Jacob King/PA Wire)
There has also been an increase in the number of 18-year-olds from the most deprived areas in England, Wales and Northern Ireland gaining a place, it added. There have been 35,920 accepted students from the most deprived 20 per cent of areas in England, a rise of 6.4 per cent, 1,260 from the same areas in Wales, an increase of more than 5 per cent (5.3 per cent), and 1,060 from those in Northern Ireland, up 5.5 per cent.
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The record high numbers come after 27.8 per cent of UK A-level entries were awarded an A or A* grade in 2024, up from 27.2 per cent the previous year, marking the highest proportion of entries scoring top grades outside the pandemic-affected years of 2020-22.
In 2019 – the last year that summer exams were taken before the pandemic – 25.4 per cent of entries were awarded A or A* grades. The pandemic led to an increase in top A-level and GCSE grades in 2020 and 2021, with results based on teacher assessments instead of exams.
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Students receive their A-level results at Solihill School on Thursday(Jacob King/PA Wire)
Ucas chief Dr Jo Saxton highlighted how this year’s students were just thirteen when the Covid pandemic hit, turning their secondary schooling “upside down”.
She said: “It’s great to see these applicants securing a university place in record numbers, seeking more education and investing in their futures. I am equally delighted to see how universities across the country have responded to their ambition.”
Education secretary Bridget Phillipson described exam results day as “a time for celebration” for young people across the country as she told BBC Breakfast there has been a “steadying of the ship” after the disruption from the coronavirus pandemic.
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Mazvita Hlubanyana (left) and Akif Ghany receive their A-level results at The Latimers Arts College in Barton Seagrave, Northamptonshire, on Thursday(Joe Giddens/PA Wire)
She said: “Whether A-Levels, T-Levels or technical and vocational qualifications, I wish everyone the very best of luck, and offer my heartfelt thanks to the fantastic teachers, staff and parents who’ve supported them to this milestone.”
Ucas’s new figures also show that the number of UK 18-year-olds accepted at higher, medium and lower tariff institutions has all increased, by 7.2 per cent, 4.5 per cent, and 1.4 per cent, respectively. Higher education providers are divided into these groups according to the average number of Ucas points achieved by students joining them.
However, the number of UK mature students securing a place, those aged 21 and over, has declined, from 52,130 in 2024 to 50,880 this year, marking a decrease of 2.4 per cent, according to the data.
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Students receive their A-level results at Ark Academy in London on Thursday(Lucy North/PA Wire)
But Ucas said the number of accepted international undergraduate students applying via Ucas has risen by almost 3 per cent (2.9 per cent), with 52,640 acceptances compared to 51,170 in 2024. The largest market, China, grew by 13 per cent to 12,380 acceptances, it added.
The subjects with the largest percentage increases in placed students this year were found to be engineering and technology, which has surged by 12.5 per cent, mathematical sciences, up by 10.5 per cent, and law, with a rise of 10.4 per cent.
Dr Saxton said: “For any student who didn’t quite get the grades they were hoping for, or even those still yet to apply, there are plenty of options in clearing with around 27,000 available courses. UCAS experts are also available on the phones, on social media and on the UCAS website, to help all those deciding on the next step that’s right for them.”
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Students receive their A-level results at Ark Academy in London on Thursday(Joe Giddens/PA Wire)
Ms Phillipson added: “Every young person should have the opportunity to achieve and thrive. This government won’t stand by and accept the entrenched inequalities that continue to blight the life chances of too many young people, especially those from white working class backgrounds who have long been overlooked.
“We’re already taking decisive action and making encouraging progress. With great options from degree apprenticeships and high-quality technical qualifications to traditional university routes, we are giving young people the tools they need to get great jobs, fill talent gaps, and help drive economic growth as part of our Plan for Change.”
More follows on this breaking news story...