A-level results: Record number of UK students accepted onto university courses
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 shows 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.
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.
It comes 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.
Education secretary Bridget Phillipson described exam results day as 'a time for celebration' for young people across the country.
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.
'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.'
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