PRESS RELEASE : Thousands of young people secure place at top university choice [August 2024]

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 15 August 2024.

76% of English 18-year-old applicants have been accepted into their first choice of university.

Hundreds of thousands of young people across England are celebrating their A Level, T Level and vocational technical qualifications (VTQ) results today (15 August 2024) as the Education Secretary thanked teachers and congratulated students.

It comes as 32.1% of all English 18-year-olds have been accepted into university with 75.7% of applicants being accepted into their first choice university up from 71.6% in 2023 and 74.5% in 2019. The gap between the most and least disadvantaged 18-year-olds in England has widened as has the gap in regional entry rates.

This year results also show that:

• 27.8% of UK entries for A levels achieved a grade A and above, higher than in 2023
• 76.4% of UK entries achieved a grade C and above, higher than 2023
• 7,380 T Level students received their results today – over twice as many as last year – as the third cohort completed the high-quality technical qualification with 88.7% achieving a pass or above
• almost 250,000 certificates were awarded for those completing their Level 3 vocational and technical qualifications
• 25.3% of 18-year-olds from the North East have secured a university place on results day compared to 42.5% of 18-year-olds from London. This gap is now 17.2 percentage points, which is worse than 15.3 in 2023 and 10.5 in 2019

Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson said:

Students should be incredibly proud of their hard work over the last two years and their achievements today – I know many will be planning their next step, whether that’s university, venturing into the world of work or starting an apprenticeship.

I want to thank our wonderful teachers and staff right across the country who have worked tirelessly to support those getting their results under really challenging circumstances.

This government is committed to breaking down barriers to make sure that all young people, wherever they are from, have the knowledge and skills to seize opportunity.

The figures today show that regional disparities are still a concern as the gap between the highest and lowest performing regions has grown since 2023, with London having 31.3% of grades at A or above and East Midlands only 22.5%.

Independent schools also continue to have the highest proportion of A grades and above and have again seen large increases this year.

As a first step to tackling these entrenched inequalities, the government has pledged to recruit 6,500 new teachers with the expansion of the flagship teacher recruitment campaign, getting more teachers into shortage subjects and supporting regions that face the largest recruitment challenges.

A review of the curriculum and assesment has also been launched to drive high and rising standards for all pupils and tackle the barriers which hold them back, particularly those with SEND or from disadvantaged backgrounds. Sir Kevan Collins has also been appointed to advise the government on school standards focusing on finding solutions to the biggest barriers to opportunity for children, including teacher shortages and high absence rates.

The Education Secretary is also co-chairing a taskforce to tackle child poverty because of the wide-reaching implications the scourge of poverty has. The government will also provide free breakfast clubs and improved mental health support to help the children who need it most to not only be in school, but achieve.

If students have not received the grades they were hoping for or have not made up their mind yet, UCAS reported there were just under 30,000 courses available through clearing, as of this morning, many of which are at the most selective universities.

Students can also call the National Careers Service on 0800 100 900 for advice on their next steps.

There are also a wide range of alternative options available including degree apprenticeships or higher technical qualifications that offer young people the chance to gain the skills they need to build successful careers.

For more information and to explore all the other exciting options available to young people go to: Skills for Careers (education.gov.uk)