As students across England, Wales and Northern Ireland receive their Level 3 exam results today, Dr Hollie Chandler, Director of Policy at the Russell Group said:

"Congratulations to all the students who are receiving their results today. You should all be extremely proud of your achievements.

"As expected, grades have remained consistent with pre-pandemic levels and we are pleased to see that 82% of applicants that have a decision today have been placed at their first-choice university. This is up 3% on 2023, showing the confidence that universities have had in the admissions cycle this year after several years of disruption.

"It is especially encouraging to see record numbers of the most disadvantaged students being accepted on university courses. Our universities are continuing to work hard, in partnership with schools and colleges, to make sure more people than ever, from all backgrounds, have the opportunity to access higher education.

"As in previous years, many of our universities have courses available through Clearing. We encourage anyone who has missed out on their expected grades, or has changed their mind about the course they want to pursue, to contact the universities they're interested in. Our experienced admissions teams take into account individual circumstances and are working hard to place students and help them take the next steps into further study and a successful future career".

Notes:

• UCAS data from 8am today shows that 82% of students holding an offer who received a decision this morning were accepted by their first-choice university, up from 79% in 2023.
• At high-tariff universities, there has been a 9% rise in acceptances for UK students, and a 3% rise in acceptances for international students.
• Across the sector, 27,600 of UK 18-year-olds from the most disadvantaged backgrounds (POLAR4 Quintile 1) have accepted a place, up 7% on 25,800 last year and up 4% on the previous high record of 26,650 in 2021.