A-level top grades rise for third consecutive year

A-level results across England, Wales and Northern Ireland have shown top grades rising for a third consecutive year, with a record number of 18-year-olds securing places at their first-choice universities. The proportion of entries awarded A* or A rose to 28.5%, up from 28.3% last year. This is the highest level outside the pandemic-affected years when grades were based on teacher assessments. Almost 20,000 students gained T-level technical qualifications, a 65% increase on last year, reflecting a growing emphasis on vocational routes.

The number of UK 18-year-olds accepted onto degree courses has risen by 3% compared with the same point last year, reaching a record high of 262,820. However, this increase is largely driven by population growth rather than a greater proportion of young people choosing higher education. At the same time, universities are facing financial pressures, partly because the previous government froze tuition fees for several years and because new Home Office visa rules could cut international student numbers by up to 10%. Skills Minister Baroness Smith said the government has increased tuition fee investment by £6 billion over five years to support universities.

Regional disparities in results are now at their widest since the current grading system began in 2010. In London, 32% of A-level entries achieved A* or A, while in the North East of England and the East Midlands the figure was just 23%. This gap of nine percentage points is a record. Gender differences are also shifting: for the second year in a row, boys outperformed girls overall, though the trend varies in Wales.

Many students celebrated as they collected results in person or checked online. Others were already thinking about money. Some, like Jamie in Leeds, chose to live at home to save on costs and keep their current job. Universities are adapting: Leeds Beckett University says more than half of its new students plan to live at home, and the University of Kent is offering £2,000 to each new student to help with starting costs, as well as spreading lectures over fewer days to allow for part-time work.

Apprenticeships and technical qualifications are being promoted more strongly. The government, including Prime Minister and Skills Minister, has said technical education must be valued equally with academic routes. Students like Dan, who took a T-level and has secured an apprenticeship with the Department for Work and Pensions, spoke of the benefits of learning on the job. However, concerns remain about snobbery towards vocational routes. Journalist Steph McGovern argued that vocational qualifications do not receive the same celebration as A-levels, and called for earlier and more genuine alternatives to university.

For students who did not get the grades they hoped for, UCAS clearing remains open until October, with around 27,000 courses available. Kim Eccleston from UCAS advised students not to panic and to explore all options. The day also highlighted the growing number of young people not in education, employment or training, and the government is piloting an AI training scheme in Wigan to help 16 to 21-year-olds improve employability. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said the government wants to give young people choices and chances, and that staying local should not be seen as a lack of ambition.