Slight drop in top A-level marks, but more students win university places
Despite this slight drop in top grades, marks have remained relatively stable, with overall pass rates up by 0.1 per cent.
This year has also seen a record number of UCAS university admissions, which rose by three per cent to 409,000. Universities are able to accept as many students as they want for the first time this year, and it is expected that Russell Group universities will accept a record number of pupils through clearing.
Universities Minister Jo Johnson said: “By lifting the cap on student numbers, we are allowing more young people to benefit from higher education than ever before. It’s great to see so many students securing a place at university, improving their career chances and delivering the skills our economy needs.”
Wendy Piatt, director general of the Russell Group, said: “Some Russell Group universities may have places available for students who have done better than expected, and some for highly qualified students who narrowly missed out on their first choice. We encourage those students to get in touch with UCAS to see whether there may be places available to them.”
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