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UK Universities Award Record Highs: First-Class Degrees Surge
2 Feb
Summary
- A third of students in 2024-2025 received top 'first-class' honours.
- Imperial College London awarded firsts to 53% of its graduates.
- The OfS watchdog has asked universities to review their grading algorithms.
In the 2024-2025 academic year, a notable 30% of UK university students achieved first-class degrees, a substantial rise from under 13% in 2006-2007. This figure, while lower than the pandemic peak of 36%, has reignited concerns about grade inflation.
Imperial College London stands out, awarding first-class honours to 53% of its graduates, the highest among Russell Group institutions. Other leading universities also show high proportions, with University College London at 41%, Durham at 40%, Manchester at 38%, and Leeds at 37%. Many of these have seen their first-class degree numbers double since 2010-2011.
The proportion of upper second-class (2:1) degrees has remained relatively stable, increasing only slightly from 47% to 48% over the same period. This trend is partly attributed to the rise in STEM subjects, which tend to award more firsts compared to humanities.
