ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ

Top-class degree awards drop at two-thirds of UK universities

<ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ class="standfirst">Grade deflation hits institutions but Imperial tops THE analysis of universities where students receive the highest marks
September 2, 2024
grade inflation
Source: iStock/murat4art

Two-thirds of UK universities awarded fewer top class degrees last year, figures show, although?more than?90 per cent of students at some of the country¡¯s most elite institutions received a first or a 2:1 degree.

Following years of rising grades,?recent data revealed that the number of students awarded first-class honours degrees has fallen to its lowest level since before the pandemic.

Much-delayed data?finally released by? shows that 77.1 per cent of first-degree students at UK universities were awarded a first-class or upper second-class honours degree in 2022-23 ¨C down from 78.7 per cent in 2021-22.

An analysis of institutional level awards by Times Higher Education?shows?Imperial College London awarded 93.7 per cent of its students a first or a 2:1 ¨C a slight increase on the year before, and the highest proportion of all UK universities.

ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ

ADVERTISEMENT

It was followed by the University of Oxford (93.6 per cent), and the University of Cambridge (91.7 per cent).

At the other end of the scale, University College Birmingham (52.7 per cent), Regent¡¯s University London (54.5 per cent) and Buckinghamshire New University (55.5 per cent) recorded the lowest number of firsts and 2:1s.?

ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ

ADVERTISEMENT
RankProviderFirsts and 2:1s %Firsts %2:1s %2:2s %Thirds %

The analysis?includes every English institution recognised as a university by the Office for Students (OfS), along with selected others across the UK. A small number were excluded for reporting fewer than 100 total degree classifications.

All 147 universities included in the analysis awarded at least 50 per cent of students a first or a 2:1 in the most recent year¡¯s figures ¨C just as they did in 2021-22. However, around two-thirds (65 per cent) of them handed out fewer of these top degree marks than they did the year before.

The news of grade deflation was previously welcomed by Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi), who said the change has made top grades a ¡°little more meaningful for employers¡±.

ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ

ADVERTISEMENT

And the OfS said the figures are testament to the sector¡¯s commitment to addressing unexplained increases in grades in recent years.?

Students at Imperial also received more firsts (52.1 per cent) than any other university in the analysis. In contrast, just 14.1 per cent of students at Arden University received a first.

And Imperial was not alone in the capital for awarding top degrees, with the analysis showing that 32.7 per cent of students at London universities received a first in 2022-23 ¨C the highest of all UK regions. Those in the East Midlands were awarded the lowest proportion ¨C 26.2 per cent.

patrick.jack@timeshighereducation.com

Register to continue

Why register?

  • Registration is free and only takes a moment
  • Once registered, you can read 3 articles a month
  • Sign up for our newsletter
Register
Please Login or Register to read this article.
<ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ class="pane-title"> Related articles
<ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ class="pane-title"> Reader's comments (3)
The temporary halt in ever increasing proportion of firsts and 2:1s does nothing to alleviate the cynicism of the graded awards. Nowadays the grading is fairly meaningless and it is probably time to (a) end the meaningless categories (b) find better ways to assess the ability of students rather than relying on regurgitative examinations. I recall when first-class degrees were exceptional and because of the marking conventions almost impossible to achieve; usually just one student per course each year managed to be so consistently and unusually high scoring to manage a first class award. Now, competent but unexceptional performances result in a first.
Well that must have been a long time ago, because 30% of the people in my heart got firsts, and that was nearly 30 years ago.
Another dispiriting THE read about the fiction factory nature of so called HE in the UK. As Lee remarks gaining a first when Universities were not a cross between a creche and Club 18-30, was a rarity. Only one person on my Biological Sciences course achieved this out of a class of 50. They were very consistent and hard working with a sharp mind. One of the real injustices of the current corruption in awarding meaningless grades is that it makes a mockery of the truly talented hard working students deserving of the higher classes. Unfortunately the 'degrees: we gottem for you' marketing ploy throughout the sector diminishes the contribution we all make to genuinely advancing intellectual culture and the economy. I am not sure when the bubble is going to burst.
<ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ class="pane-title"> Sponsored
<ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ class="pane-title"> Featured jobs
ADVERTISEMENT