Record university admissions as A-level regional gap hits widest level since 2010
More than 250,000 students are heading to university as A-level top grades rise again, but the gap between London and the Northeast and East Midlands is the widest since 2010.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
More than a quarter of a million sixth formers are heading into higher education after A-level results that showed top grades rising for the third year in a row. But the attainment gap between the best and worst performing regions of England has widened to its largest level since the current grading system began in 2010.
London had the highest share of A* and A grades at 32%. The Northeast and the East Midlands had the joint lowest rate at 23%. That leaves a gap of 9.6 percentage points. Northern Ireland outperformed the other nations, while Wales recorded a slight rise in the number of top grades.
Students in Hull queued from 7am to collect their results, with reactions ranging from relief to disappointment. Some opened their results on camera. Alongside A-levels, rising numbers are taking T-levels, a technical qualification geared towards a career or a trade. The number of students getting T-level results has risen again.
The government says it is driving a revolution in vocational skills to tackle youth unemployment. That message was welcomed at a Kent construction firm, where 13% of staff are apprentices. The firm said apprentices are the future and that the industry faces a skills shortage.
For those choosing university, institutions are pushing to fill places after some took a financial hit from a fall in international students. A university representative said the sector is operating in a difficult environment but remains important to the economy. For the class of 2026, there are more options than ever, including a degree, an apprenticeship or work. Even so, the results show that it is still harder to succeed in some parts of the country.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Widely reported · 5 or more of 6 channels | ||||||
| The regional gap in top A-level grades reached a record high, with London at 32% and the North East and East Midlands at 23%. | Reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by Sky News | |
| Reported by a few · 2–4 channels | ||||||
| Almost 20,000 young people gained T level qualifications, a 65% increase on last year. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by Sky News | |
| A record 262,820 UK 18-year-olds were accepted onto degree courses, a 3% increase on the same point last year. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Reported by Sky News | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
ITV1 led its coverage from Hull and framed the results around record university admissions and a widening regional divide. It mixed pupil emotion with policy context on T-levels, apprenticeships and university finances. The regional gap was treated as a central, unresolved problem rather than a side issue.
- “Regional inequalities in education are getting worse, not better.”
- “In London, 32% of A-level grades were marked A-star or A. Compare that with the Northeast and the East Midlands, which had the joint lowest rate at 23%.”
- “The government says it's driving a revolution in vocational skills to tackle youth unemployment.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.