Closing summary
We are now closing the live blog.
Well done to everyone, and good luck to those who are applying through the clearing route.
For those considering university next year, we will be publishing the Guardian’s University Guide 2026 in early September with our rankings of the top universities and lots of useful advice on choosing the right course and institution for you. You can read last year’s guide here.
Here is a summary of today’s events:
The proportion of candidates receiving top grades in A-levels has risen for the second year in a row and remains higher than before the Covid-19 pandemic. A total of 28.3% of entries were awarded either an A or A*, up from 27.8% in 2024 and above 25.4% in 2019.
This is the highest proportion on record outside the pandemic-affected years of 2020-22 (the figure peaked at 44.8% in 2021). Some 9.4% of entries received an A*. This is also up on last year (9.3%) and higher than the figure for 2019 (7.7%).The overall pass rate (grades A* to E) was 97.5%. This is up from 97.2% in 2024 but below 2019, which was 97.6%.
Ofqual, the exam regulator for England, shrugged off any suggestions of grade inflation, pointing to the lower proportion of 18-year-olds taking A-levels and saying that fewer low-achieving students had entered.
Across the regions of England, London saw the highest proportion of entries awarded grades of A or A* (32.1%, up from 31.3% in 2024) while north-east England had the lowest (22.9%, down from 23.9% in 2024).
The gap between these two regions now stands at 9.2 percentage points, up from 7.4 points last year and the largest since the present system of grading began in 2010, according to analysis by the PA news agency.Boys have taken a lead over girls in the top grades for the first time since 2018. The proportion of boys’ entries awarded A or A* this year was 28.4%, 0.2 percentage points higher than the equivalent figure for girls’ entries (28.2%). Last year, girls led boys by 0.4 percentage points (28.0% for girls, 27.6% for boys).
Boys have extended their lead over girls in the highest grade, A*.
The proportion of boys’ entries awarded A* this year was 9.9%, 0.8 points higher than girls (9.1%). Last year, boys led girls by 0.4 percentage points (9.5% for boys, 9.1% for girls).The most popular subject this year was maths, for the 12th year in a row. It had 112,138 entries, up 4.4% from 107,427 in 2024.
Psychology remains the second most popular subject. It had 75,943 entries, down 3.3% from 78,556 in 2024. Biology was once again the third most popular subject, with 71,400 entries, a fall of 4.0% from 74,367.
Business studies has entered the top five most popular subjects for the first time, ranking in fifth place and replacing history which has dropped to seventh. Physics has jumped from ninth place to sixth.A total of 882,509 A-levels were awarded this year, down 0.5% on last year’s 886,514.
Rutland and Surrey have held on to their positions as the top two counties of England with the largest proportion of A-level entries receiving the highest grades, PA reports. Some 41.2% of entries in Rutland this year were graded A or above, up from 40.6% last year and 34.0% in the pre-pandemic year of 2019.
Henri Murison, chief executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, has spoken about the “significant and deep-seated regional disparities” in A-level outcomes. He said: “In London, 32.1% of results are A or A*, meaning the pre-existing gap with every part of the North has widened over that period. In 2025, the North East’s figure is only 22.9%.”
The number of students accepted on to UK degree courses has risen to a record high year, Ucas figures show.
More than half (51%) of school or college students planning to attend higher education say their choice of university will be limited by their financial situation, polling from Unheard Voices polling carried out for the Social Mobility Foundation in partnership with LV= found.
A short note on computing here: entries after a decade of growth the number of students sitting computing at A-level in England dropped by 2.6% in 2025, lower than the falloff in some of the arts/humanities as reported earlier but significantly higher than the overall fall in entries (0.5%).
There will, no doubt, be those who attribute this reversal to genAI which - as we all know – is coming for all our jobs. (I jest. Well, kind of). But these students chose to take the subject prior to the full-scale advent of the technology, so that doesn’t really explain the decline.
Also, the drop in entries comes as mid-market companies, industry surveys and research from the City-Region Economic Development Institute at the University of Birmingham all point to a digital skills shortage.
A bit of a silver lining though: the number of girls taking the subject is rising: close to one-in-five (18.7%) students taking the computing A-level are now female, three times the 2012 level.
Cost of living crisis leaving young people with limited education choices, polling finds
More than half (51%) of school or college students planning to attend higher education say their choice of university will be limited by their financial situation, according to research.
The survey also found that once they are at university, nearly half (45%) of undergraduates have skipped meals because they are short of cash.
The findings come from Unheard Voices polling carried out for the Social Mobility Foundation in partnership with LV=.
The polling of 16 to 21-year-olds reveals the struggles faced by A-level students and undergraduates as the UK’s cost of living crisis continues to bite. It comes after the percentage of young people eligible for free school meals who progressed to university fell for the first time on record last year.
Almost half (47%) of school and college students from working-class backgrounds lack a quiet space to study at home, three in ten (30%) don’t have access to necessary textbooks and revision guides and almost a quarter (23%) don’t have access to a computer for studying.
When asked if they would be able to afford the essentials while at university from student finance alone – regardless of whether they lived at home while studying – nearly half (47%) of those from working-class backgrounds said no or that they didn’t know.
Many current undergrads describe struggling to afford the basics. Almost two in 10 (17%) have used short-term credit like payday loans or buy now, pay later because of a lack of money.
Those from working-class backgrounds face an even greater struggle. One in four (25%) said they have skipped lectures or other teaching because they couldn’t afford to go.
And almost half (47%) of students who previously received free school meals said their learning has been negatively impacted by their financial situation.
Sarah Atkinson, chief executive of the Social Mobility Foundation, said: “Young people from working-class backgrounds are being let down. Their talent is being suppressed by a lack of money – they don’t have the basics needed to thrive at school or at university.
“This is wrong in a country suffering a skills and opportunity crisis. The Government must give all young people the resources to succeed in school and reintroduce maintenance grants for poorer university students so they can spend their degree studying, not struggling.”
At the University of Sheffield, the most popular subjects they are receiving calls for in their clearing call centre include law, maths, pharmacy, biosciences and engineering.
Dan Barcroft, director of admissions at the University of Sheffield said:
“We’re seeing high levels of interest across a wide range of courses this year — particularly in areas like engineering where competition is particularly strong. It’s clear students are thinking carefully about their futures, using clearing not just as a fallback, but as an opportunity to ‘shop around’ and find the best university for them.
He added: “Many students will be making big decisions over the next few days, and it’s vital they take the time they need to consider where they’ll thrive academically and personally. Universities have a responsibility not to add to the stress. Instead, we should support applicants with open days, campus tours and virtual events, so they can explore their options and make confident, informed choices.”
Education secretary Bridget Phillipson was photographed with students at Trafford College in Altrincham, Greater Manchester, as they received their results.
It’s not all about the A-levels - the number of T-levels entries rose sharply this year to 11,909.
T-levels, a more technical and vocationally focused alternative to the A-levels and which combine classroom study with a substantial industry placement, were introduced in England in 2020 and first awarded in 2022.
But despite a 60% jump in entries compared to 2024, the qualification is still very new and is taken by very few students compared to A-levels: to put that 11,909 figure into context a similar number (11,791) sat the physical education A-level in England this year – only the 19th most popular subject – than all T levels combined.
Separately released Department for Education figures released today show that drop out rates remain concerningly high on T Level courses, with 27% of students who started a course not being assessed.
Rutland and Surrey remain counties with highest proportion of top grades
Rutland and Surrey have held on to their positions as the top two counties of England with the largest proportion of A-level entries receiving the highest grades, PA reports.
Some 41.2% of entries in Rutland this year were graded A or above, up from 40.6% last year and 34.0% in the pre-pandemic year of 2019.
Surrey remained in second place, with 36.0% of entries getting grades A or A*, up from 35.9% in 2024 and 32.4% in 2019.
Buckinghamshire is in third place on 34.2%, up from sixth last year, while East Sussex has slipped from third to fourth (33.7%).
The figures, which have been published by Ofqual, also show the mainland county with the lowest proportion of entries awarded A or above this year was Bedfordshire, at 19.9%, though the Isle of Wight had an even lower figure of 17.6%. These two areas occupied the bottom spots last year.
Of the 47 counties, or equivalent areas, included in the data, more than half (29) saw a year-on-year increase in the proportion of entries receiving the top grades.
Greater Manchester recorded the largest rise, up by 2.0 percentage points from 26.1% to 28.1%.
Northumberland saw the biggest fall, down by 2.3 percentage points from 25.3% to 23.0%.
Most counties (40 of 47) saw a higher proportion of entries awarded A or above this year than in the pre-pandemic year of 2019.
Earlier we reported on the widening regional gap across England with the north-east faring worst.
This is reflected in Ucas figures, also released today, which shows a lower proportion of 18-year-olds in the North East were accepted into university than in 2024. Every other region and nation saw a rise with London continuing to dominate university entries: 43.4% of its 18-year-old population accepted compared with just a quarter (24.9%) of 18-year-olds in the North-east.
Wales – which was the only country to have seen a decrease in A* and A grades compared to 2024 – also saw a fall in Ucas offers.
Of course, it isn’t just English students who get their results today with Wales and Northern Ireland also clutching envelopes/clicking furiously to find out their results.
Welsh students saw top grades (As and As) rise by three percentage points compared to 2019 – albeit a slight drop compared with last year’s grades (falling from 29.9% to 29.5%).
In Northern Ireland, where more students have received top grades in recent years, that figure was only up by one percentage point compared with 2019.
(Nerdy note alert: Some other outlets report UK-wide results, but we focus on England and report figures for Wales and Northern Ireland separately. This is because exam structures and grading policies now differ between the three nations, and UK-wide averages are heavily influenced by England, which accounts for around 90% of entries each year.)
...C’est une catastrophe! As experts predicted, the decline in students taking modern foreign language subjects has continued in 2025. There were just 9,807 A-level entries in Spanish, German and French in England – half a per cent lower than last year, and the lowest number of entries since at least 2010.
The number of UK students accepted into university for a “language and area studies” subject also fell by 4% year on year, according to Ucas figures.
A recent report by the Higher Education Policy Institute highlighted the “catastrophic” decline in language learning at schools and universities. It found that language teacher recruitment consistently misses the government’s targets – in 2024, just 43% of the target was reached.
Updated
This year’s top 10 in England is the same as last (there are no extra marks for guessing that maths took the no. 1 slot followed by psychology, biology and chemistry), but there is some movement, towards STEM and business-oriented subjects at the cost of humanities.
History, the fifth most popular subject last year, fell four places to number nine in 2025, a huge drop in the scheme of things.
The big winners were Economics and Business Studies which both jumped two places this year while sociology and business studies also climbed to no. 5 and 6 respectively (is it just me or do I sound like a radio DJ?).
Another victim in all this is Art & Design which is now just the tenth most popular A-level: indeed if English were still one single subject (and not split over three) there’s a good chance art would no longer feature in the top 10.
The slide in humanities/arts subjects was also evident outside the top subjects with all three English subjects (English Literature, English Language, English Language & Literature), geography and drama all dropping significantly compared with last year even after the overall number of entries is taken into account and as for languages...
Updated
It’s not all good news: regional inequality in A-level grades has worsened in the last year. Students in the North East and West Midlands saw the percentage of As and A*s drop by -1 and -0.6 points respectively, with the North East the only region seeing a lower proportion of students with top grades than in 2019.
The gap in A grades between the best performing region (London, where almost a third of students got at least an A) and the lowest performing (the North East) was 9.2 percentage points - the highest regional gap since at least 2019.
It’s worth remembering here that the differences in grades between schools within regions are much larger than the differences between regions in total.
Record proportion of A-level students get top grades in England
by Richard Adams and Michael Goodier
Students in England gained record levels of top grades in this year’s A-level exams, driven by young men producing their strongest performances outside the pandemic years.
Ofqual, the exam regulator for England, shrugged off any suggestions of grade inflation, pointing to the lower proportion of 18-year-olds taking A-levels and saying that fewer low-achieving students had entered.
Despite the overall improvement, regional variations remain, with students in the West Midlands and north-east England recording lower grades overall than in 2024. The north-east remains the only region of England with average grades below pre-pandemic levels.
Among the more than 1.1m entries in England, 28.2% gained an A or A* grade, while 9.4% gained the top A* grade, both higher than in 2024 when 27.6% of entries got A and A*s and 9.3% gained A*s.
You can read the full report here:
Henri Murison, chief executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, has spoken about the “significant and deep-seated regional disparities” in A-level outcomes.
He said: “On BTEC, T Level and A Level results day, our first job is to recognise the huge effort made by every young person, as well as the dedication of their tutors, lecturers and teachers.
“When it comes to A-level outcomes, there are significant and deep-seated regional disparities. Many of those who choose not to study for A-levels at all, or who underperform, do so as a result of their background, including coming from a disadvantaged family.
“Regional differences are part of this complex picture. Since the pandemic, it is encouraging that the proportion of students receiving an A or A* grade in Yorkshire, the North West and the North East has almost returned to, or exceeded, their 2019 share. However, in London, 32.1% of results are A or A*, meaning the pre-existing gap with every part of the North has widened over that period. In 2025, the North East’s figure is only 22.9%.
“The pandemic has had long-lasting consequences and the grades our young people are using to apply for the most competitive university or apprenticeship places remain lower than those in regions such as London.”
Today’s results revealed a marked uptick in entries for economics and business studies, which one exam board boss put down to “real world relevance” and social media influencers.
Claire Thomson, director of regulation and compliance at the AQA exam board, said: “As an ex-business studies and economics teacher I’m really happy to see their popularity. I guess it’s about real world relevance that will help students understand the way that the world works, how businesses operate, how markets operate.
“They’re clearly relevant for lots of career opportunities, whether it’s finance, marketing or management. I also wonder if there’s a little bit about the social media phenomenon these days and the amount of influencers people see making what seems like lots of money.
“And that kind of idea of gaining some entrepreneurial skills that they can go out and emulate the people that they see all the time on social media.”
“It’s true. We see a very entrepreneurial spirit in this generation of young people. They’ve often got side-hustles going on,” Jill Duffy, OCR chief executive added. Meanwhile entries for history and psychology dipped.
Here are some more images coming to us over the wires of students receving their results.
Here is some analysis by PA Media looking at the main numbers and trends in this year’s A-level results:
- The proportion of candidates receiving top grades has risen for the second year in a row and remains higher than before the Covid-19 pandemic.
A total of 28.3% of entries were awarded either an A or A*, up from 27.8% in 2024 and above 25.4% in 2019.
This is the highest proportion on record outside the pandemic-affected years of 2020-22 (the figure peaked at 44.8% in 2021).
- Some 9.4% of entries received an A*.
This is also up on last year (9.3%) and higher than the figure for 2019 (7.7%).
Discounting the pandemic-affected years of 2020-22 - when the figure peaked at 19.1% in 2021 - 9.4% is the highest proportion since the A* grade was first awarded in 2010.
- There were 77.9% of entries that received a C or above, up from 76.4% in 2024 and above the pre-pandemic figure of 75.9% in 2019.
This is again the highest percentage for this level of grade outside the pandemic (the figure peaked at 88.5% in 2021).
- The overall pass rate (grades A* to E) was 97.5%. This is up from 97.2% in 2024 but below 2019, which was 97.6%.
- Across the regions of England, London saw the highest proportion of entries awarded grades of A or A* (32.1%, up from 31.3% in 2024) while north-east England had the lowest (22.9%, down from 23.9% in 2024).
The gap between these two regions now stands at 9.2 percentage points, up from 7.4 points last year and the largest since the present system of grading began in 2010, according to analysis by the PA news agency.
- Some 30.4% of entries in Northern Ireland received A or A*, higher than the equivalent figure for Wales (29.5%) and England (28.2%).
- Boys have taken a lead over girls in the top grades for the first time since 2018.
The proportion of boys’ entries awarded A or A* this year was 28.4%, 0.2 percentage points higher than the equivalent figure for girls’ entries (28.2%).
Last year, girls led boys by 0.4 percentage points (28.0% for girls, 27.6% for boys).
- Boys have extended their lead over girls in the highest grade, A*.
The proportion of boys’ entries awarded A* this year was 9.9%, 0.8 points higher than girls (9.1%).
Last year, boys led girls by 0.4 percentage points (9.5% for boys, 9.1% for girls).
Boys led girls at A* from 2012 through to 2019, before girls moved in front during the pandemic-affected years of 2020-22, after which boys reclaimed a lead in 2023.
- The most popular subject this year was maths, for the 12th year in a row. It had 112,138 entries, up 4.4% from 107,427 in 2024.
Psychology remains the second most popular subject. It had 75,943 entries, down 3.3% from 78,556 in 2024.
Biology was once again the third most popular subject, with 71,400 entries, a fall of 4.0% from 74,367.
Business studies has entered the top five most popular subjects for the first time, ranking in fifth place and replacing history which has dropped to seventh.
Physics has jumped from ninth place to sixth.
- A total of 882,509 A-levels were awarded this year, down 0.5% on last year’s 886,514.
As young male students produced their strongest performances outside the Covid years, exam boards played down the gender shift.
Claire Thomson, director of regulation and compliance at the AQA exam board, said: “Both males and females have seen increases at the top grades of A* and A combined, though males have achieved more A*s, the very top grade.
“While the percentage of females achieving A* to A is lower than it is for males, there are nearly 19,000 more females than males achieving grade A and above due to the higher entry volume. It’s important not to speculate too much about what’s led to any differences between males and females as the figures are small, they do bounce around a bit over time, and the causes will be multi-faceted and complex.”
Exam board chiefs also raised concerns about worsening regional inequalities in England, as top performing London stretched its lead ahead, with the lowest performing area, the north-east, securing fewer top grades than last year. Last year’s gap of 8.8 percentage points has how grown to 9.2 percentage points. Jill Duffy, chief executive of the OCR exam board, told journalists: “I think we pose the questions on results day, and it’s for all of us and the education sector more broadly, to really think through what some of the answers might be.”
Concerns were also raised about the continuing decline of modern foreign languages, despite adjustments last year to address concerns about harsh grading. Ofqual chief regulator Sir Ian Bauckham said there had been no improvement, with entries in French and German lower this year than last and no uplift in grades.
“Why that is the case is a question for the wider school system ... but it’s clear that there are challenges facing modern foreign language education in England. And incidentally, as someone who spent many years actually teaching modern languages I’d be very pleased to see continued resource put into tackling those challenges.”
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has made a statement for those in the capital receiving exam results today.
He said:
Congratulations to all the Londoners receiving their A-level, T level and BTec results today. Your hard work and the dedication of your teachers has brought you to this moment, and I hope you and your friends and families enjoy celebrating.
If your results aren’t quite what you hoped for, remember there’s plenty of support available. Talk to your teachers, parents, or the National Career Service, or visit the Ucas website to explore options. I wish you all every success as you now take your next step in life.
Updated
Pepe Di’Iasio, seneral Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said that “big differences in attainment between regions, reflecting socioeconomic factors” continue to prove a “massive challenge” for the education sector and society as a whole.
He said: “Congratulations to students on their results in A-levels, AS-levels, and vocational and technical qualifications, and also to their schools and colleges which have supported these young people so superbly, not only during the high-pressure cauldron of exams, but throughout these demanding courses.”
He added: “Turning to A-levels in England, there are welcome increases in results at grade A and above, and also at grade C and above. This is testament to the hard work of teachers and students in often very challenging circumstances. Schools and colleges face severe funding and staffing shortages, and these students were affected by the disruption of the pandemic earlier in their education. They have overcome the odds and we salute the fantastic efforts of our brilliant education staff.
“However, we continue to see big differences in attainment between regions, reflecting socioeconomic factors which represent a massive challenge, not only for the education sector but our society as a whole. We have to stop merely talking about these issues and actually address them with investment in communities suffering from generational disadvantage. This cannot be solved by schools and colleges alone but must also involve action to boost the opportunities available for young people.
“While much of the focus on results day is on A-levels, we should not forget that many young people have recorded success in T-levels and vocational and technical qualifications. Our warmest congratulations to them, and we hope the government protects the choice available through various routes rather than scrapping many valued applied general qualifications, such as BTECs, as currently planned.”
Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, has called for a change of what he calls a “rigid one-size-fits-all examinations system”.
Commenting on A-level, Applied General, T-Levels and other Vocational Technical Qualification results he said:
Congratulations to all students receiving results today. The hard work and effort of students, teachers and those supporting them should be commended.
This day however comes with disproportionate high stakes and unnecessary anxiety for many students. When the entirety of a grade depends on regurgitating two years’ work over a few hours, inevitably some will not demonstrate what they are usually capable of.
End of course exams are far from the best and fairest way to assess students’ skills. Some qualifications awarded today, including AGQs, use a mixture of assessment methods but are no less robust.
This rigid one size fits all examination system needs to change. The ongoing Curriculum and Assessment Review (CAR) is a generational opportunity to modernise it by creating a curriculum that is engaging and uses assessment methods more closely aligned with the world young people will face. AGQs allow many disadvantaged students access to higher education and the CAR panel’s final recommendations should ensure they are retained.
To ensure all students achieve their best this government needs to end the scourge of child poverty. Young people cannot study effectively if they are hungry, don’t have a proper home or are worried about lack of money.
Education secretary Bridget Phillipson has vowed to tackle the “yawning inequalities” in educational attainment.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme, she said: “Alongside the post-16 white paper that we’ll be publishing later on this year, I will also bring a big focus through our schools white paper on how we tackle these thorny generational challenges where white working-class kids across our country don’t get the start that they deserve.
“Now the school system is an important part of how we respond to that, but I would say alongside it so much of this develops and opens up in the early years.
“The attainment gap that we see between less well-off students and better-off students opens up before the age of five.
“It’s why early years has been such a priority, because if we get that right then we set up children to succeed, but we will take more action in the school system to ensure that those gaps that we see, those yawning inequalities, are addressed.
“It’s something the last government failed to tackle. It is something this government will grasp.”
Updated
As sixth formers celebrated record numbers of top grades, England’s qualifications regulator Ofqual denied that grade inflation – which became a significant issue during Covid when students were awarded teacher-assessed grades, was creeping back into the system.
At a media briefing, Ofqual’s chief regulator Sir Ian Bauckham insisted: “The grading standard, the standard of work, the standard of performance the students need to demonstrate to achieve any particular grade, whether that’s an A* or an A or any other grade in the A-level spectrum, remains the same year on year, and exam boards have strict processes that involve comparing scripts with previous years and using background data on the entry cohort.
“They have strict processes to ensure that that standards stay constant from year to year and Ofqual’s job is to supervise and oversee that process, to make sure that the exam boards are implementing it rigorously, and that process has been followed this year. So we can be absolutely confident that the standard of work required to get any grade at A-level is the same this year as it was last year, and as it was in 2023.
“Of course different students entering for exams and undertaking their qualifications will mean that outcomes will vary from year to year. This year we see some significant cohort differences. The cohort is slightly smaller and slightly stronger in terms of its attainment when it started A-levels that it has been for the past few years.
A-level top grades reach record high outside of Covid years
More than 800,000 students got their A-level results today - and the topline figures indicate that many will be happy with their lot – and not just the 3,890 students who achieved three A*s (smarty pantses!).
In England the proportion of A*, A, B or C grades outstripped all but the pandemic era when teacher assessments saw a spike in grades with a similar picture in Northern Ireland and Wales.
Boys, in particular, did well, with more boys than girls achieving an A* grade this year, unusual outside the Covid era. However, as in past years, more girls achieved grades of C and above. And there were fewer low grades (E and U) than in the previous two years.
Other notable trends include students’ increasing interest in STEM and business-oriented subjects and the persistence of the regional gap.
Updated
Education secretary Bridget Phillipson has said that A-level results this year are “broadly in line with previous years”.
Speaking to Nick Ferrari on LBC, she said: “If we were to compare between years, we’d probably compare with either last year or 2019.
“Of course during the pandemic there was a lot of disruption, which I understand, and the then-Conservative government did have to make some difficult decisions about how to manage that process for our young people, but there were some problems.
“I won’t dwell on them, that is in the past now, but there were some issues at the time about how some of that was managed.
“But where we are right now is that young people receiving their results today will have been the cohort of young people who sat their GCSEs in the usual way, so did them as part of that exam assessment process that everyone would expect to be the normal way of doing things.”
Universities UK chief executive, Vivienne Stern, has responded to this year’s A-level results day in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
She said:
Congratulations to all the students receiving their results today, and to the teachers, families and friends that supported them to get here. With 82% of students who had an offer and received their decision this morning being accepted to their firm choice university, there is much to be celebrated.
Today marks the beginning of doors opening for thousands of students across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The increase in applications confirms that people rightly recognise the value of going to university, and it is particularly positive that we have seen an increase in students going to university from the least advantaged backgrounds. The economy needs graduates and the skills they will develop throughout their time at university.
To those who have not got the results they were hoping for, please don’t panic. It’s not the end of the world. There are lots of opportunities available through clearing, and advice available through Ucas or direct from universities.”
Jo Saxton, chief executive of Ucas has been speaking about results day.
“This year’s students were just thirteen when the pandemic hit, and their secondary schooling was turned 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.
“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.”
Students accepted on UK degree courses reaches record high - Ucas
The number of students accepted on to UK degree courses has risen to a record high year, Ucas figures show.
A total of 439,180 applicants have gained a place at university or college – up 3.1% on the same point last year, according to data published by the university admissions service, PA News reports.
Ucas said it is the highest number of placed students on results day on record.
Overall, 82% of UK 18-year-old applicants awaiting a decision on results day secured their first choice – which was the same proportion as last year.
For 18-year-olds in the UK, 255,130 applicants have been accepted onto a university or college course – up 4.7% on last year.
The number of international students who have been accepted on to undergraduate courses has risen by 2.9% – from 51,170 last year to 52,640.
Accepted applicants from China (12,380) are up 13% compared with last year.
Here are the latest images coming to us over the wires of students receiving their results.
Updated
We have more from education secretary Bridget Phillipson, who has been speaking to BBC Breakfast about A-level results day.
She said there had been “a steadying of the ship, both this year and last, following some of the disruption that we saw during the pandemic.”
She added:“These are young people who have not had disruption in recent times, but have had the full normal assessment process.
“These are also young people who would have been the first to sit GCSEs under normal circumstances. So they’ve gone through the full regular GCSE cycle that you would have expected before the pandemic.
“So, this is a normal year, the kind of year that we would have seen before the pandemic hit.”
The total number of students accepted on to UK degree courses has risen by 3.1% on the same point last year, with 439,180 taking up places so far, initial Ucas figures show, PA News reports.
We have more from Bridget Phillipson, who said she thinks it is “a matter of personal choice” when asked about the drop in pupils choosing to study arts and languages at A-level.
She told Times Radio: “I do think it’s a good thing that more young people are studying subjects like maths. There are often great roots into careers.
“The same is, of course, true of subjects like languages, and that was my personal passion.
“But we, of course, look at some of those trends over time and keep under consideration what some of the reasons might be that we see changes in subject choice.”
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has said it is a “day of celebration” for young people ahead of A-level results today.
Speaking to Times Radio, she said: “I’ll just start by saying that this is a really exciting day for young people.
“They’ve worked really hard. They’ve had brilliant support from their teachers and parents. It’s a day for celebration for our young people and there are lots of great routes out there.
“University is one of them, but for young people who are considering other routes there are apprenticeships and plenty of other opportunities available too, and lots of advice available if you haven’t quite got what you needed, through Ucas and clearing, and also through the National Career Service.”
Speaking to Sky News, she said young people getting their results on Thursday to seek support if they do not get the grades they wanted.
“My message to young people is that if you’ve got what you’ve needed to move on to the next step in your journey, that’s fantastic,” she said.
“But if you haven’t there’s lots of support and advice that’s available, either from your school or college, but also through Ucas, if you’re considering going to university through clearing, and also the National Career Service, because there are lots of fantastic routes that are out there, whether that’s apprenticeships, university or much more besides.”
The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) has sounded a warning over the decline of small-entry A-levels, calling on the government to do more to champion languages and arts subjects.
Pepe Di’Iasio, the ASCL’s general secretary, said:
“While many students will achieve the grades to which they aspire, there will be others who are disappointed. We would urge them to keep calm, talk to their teachers, and consider their options. There will be excellent opportunities available to them and dropping a grade is not the end of the world.
“Looking at the pattern of A-level entries in England this year, we have seen the continued rise of maths as the most popular subject choice. It is great news that so many young people are studying this vital subject at this level and see maths as a route to further study and careers.
“However, there are several A-level subjects where numbers are small and we are concerned about their sustainability in sixth forms and colleges. This is partly because the funding rates for post-16 education are extremely tight, making it difficult for providers to put on courses for small classes.
“According to Ofqual’s statistics, entries in a number of these subjects fell alarmingly this year, including French by 8.3%, German by 6.8%, drama by 6.2% and music by 2.6%.
“In many cases, we fear small-entry options are simply no longer available because of funding cuts which have already had to be made, and that we are in the midst of a downward spiral where some subjects will effectively disappear from the state education system.
“It is imperative that the government carefully considers how funding rates are affecting A-level choices, and that it does more to champion languages and arts subjects.”
A record number of 18-year-olds are likely to be successful in securing their first choice of university this A-level results day, even if they narrowly miss their grades, the head of Ucas has suggested.
Jo Saxton, chief executive of the university admissions service, told PA this week it was a “good year to be a UK-domiciled 18-year-old” who wants to go to university.
She has suggested that British universities are keen to recruit UK school and college leavers because there is more “uncertainty” around the international market, and which overseas students are going to turn up.
Saxton added that domestic undergraduates offered universities “stability” for their “financial planning”.
Nearly 22,700 courses with vacancies for undergraduate students living in England were available on the Ucas clearing site as of Wednesday last week – eight days before results day, a PA analysis showed.
A sample of 129 of the UK’s largest higher education providers showed 17 of the 24 elite Russell Group universities had more than 3,600 courses with vacancies for English residents on clearing.
Updated
Students across England, Wales and Northern Ireland await A-level results
Good morning, and welcome to our blog covering A-level results day as thousands of students across England, Wales and Northern Ireland await news of their grades.
Education secretary Bridget Phillipson has said that she expects a “pretty straightforward year” for students as things have “returned to normal” since the pandemic.
Last year, 27.8% of UK A-level entries were awarded an A or A* grade (up from 27.2% in 2023). It was the highest proportion of entries scoring top grades outside the pandemic-affected years of 2020-22.
Scottish students received the results of their Higher exams last week, and the A-C attainment was 75.9% (up from 74.9% last year).
As well as A-level results, students will also receive T-level and BTec National results today.
We’ll have a fuller picture at 9.30am, so do follow along with us today for all the developments.
Updated
