Top degrees fall for the first time in a decade

The proportionality of students successful England awarded first-class degrees has fallen for the archetypal clip successful implicit a decade, the assemblage watchdog says.

The Office for Students (OfS) says 32.8% achieved apical grades successful 2021-22, down from 37.4% successful 2020-21.

But the percent remains higher than earlier the Covid pandemic and concerns stay astir the wide summation since 2010-11, erstwhile it was 15.5%.

Universities accidental they are "committed to addressing unexplained increases".

The National Union of Students (NUS) said it "regrets" students were having "doubts formed upon their achievements".

Universities UK, which represents 140 institutions, said they were "rowing backmost connected increases that occurred during the pandemic".

In a statement, it referred to guidance it has published connected however universities should classify degrees to "protect the worth of qualifications".

The autumn successful the proportionality of apical grades successful 2021-22 coincided with galore universities ending "no detriment" oregon "safety net" policies designed to support grades from being negatively impacted by disruption during the pandemic.

The policies often meant students' grades were based connected their show up until the pandemic.

The OfS study does not analyse the interaction of policies and guidance.

It does look astatine whether differences successful students' "characteristics" from twelvemonth to twelvemonth mightiness explicate the semipermanent emergence successful first-class degrees - specified arsenic their A-level oregon equivalent grades oregon prime of subject.

But OfS main enforcement Susan Lapworth said fractional of first-class degrees remained "unexplained".

"We are encouraged to spot a simplification successful the proportionality of unexplained apical grades but universities and colleges cognize that they request to proceed to instrumentality the steps indispensable to support the worth of their qualifications, present and implicit time," she said.

"We recognise determination are apt to beryllium a scope of factors - including improved teaching - that could pb to an summation successful the fig of firsts awarded.

"But the sustained summation successful unexplained firsts and [upper seconds] since 2010-11 continues to origin america concern."

Universities UK said universities "remain committed to addressing unexplained increases successful their degree-classification awards" but the probe "must beryllium cautious not to presume that those with little introduction grades, typically from much disadvantaged backgrounds, cannot execute first-class degrees".

"Some of the improvements are definite to beryllium attributable to accrued concern into teaching from universities and the hard enactment of students," it added.

Chloe Field, of the NUS, said it "regrets the proposition that students who person worked hard, received prime teaching from fantabulous unit and person achieved bully results person doubts formed upon their achievements".

This "distracts from the existent problems" successful higher education, specified arsenic the outgo of living, she added.

The OfS study comes arsenic immoderate students look delays receiving their grades this summertime due to the fact that of a marking boycott by staff.

The University and College Union says it could impact much than fractional a cardinal graduations.

But universities are taking autarkic decisions astir however to minimise the impact, truthful the effect connected students volition vary.

Grade ostentation - particularly since the pandemic - has besides been a interest for schools and colleges.

The proportionality of apical GCSE and A-level grades successful England, Wales and Northern Ireland successful 2022 was little than 2021 but inactive higher than earlier the pandemic.

Ofqual says it expects this year's GCSE and A-level results to beryllium akin to 2019.