19/08/2008 | Student Survival Guide, Study Abroad
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Record pass rates in UK A-Level results and applications for university places

By: Poppy Jennings

For the 26th year in a row record numbers of 17 and 18-year-olds have passed their A-Levels and will be heading to university to start their undergraduate degrees. QS Top Universities looks at the rise in UK undergraduate applications and the success of UK A-Level results.

A level students

The number of students that have passed their A-Levels achieving grades A to E has hit the record high of 97.2% making this year the 26th annual increase in pass rates for the UK. A total number of 554,499 applicants are being processed by the Universities and Colleges Admission Service (UCAS), an increase of 47,564 applicants in 2007. Incorporated into this figure are 13,406 people who have applied for nursing or midwifery courses that previously were not included within the UCAS scheme.

As of 15 August, 346,057 applicants had received unconditional or confirmed conditional offers at their chosen university; an increase of over nine percent from last year. Another 3,392 have already been accepted for undergraduate places through the UCAS clearing system and a further 115,048 (roughly 20% of all applicants) are eligible for clearing places.

This year's results also show that more students are choosing and passing STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) based subjects while subjects often described as 'softer' such as expressive arts, communication and general studies, have fallen in popularity. A record 65,239 opted to take math, up 7.4% from last year, while entries to further math increased by 15.8%. Chemistry, physics and biology increased by 3.5%, 2.3%  and 2.7% respectively.

Overall, only 6,171 applicants have withdrawn from the scheme, up by just 21 applicants from 2007. Meanwhile,  a nervous 83,831 applicants are anxiously waiting to hear if their university places are confirmed or not.
Anthony McClaran, UCAS chief executive commented: "May I congratulate everyone who picked up their results today and give my best wishes to the many thousands who have had their places in higher education confirmed. Congratulations are also due to teachers - schools are undoubtedly better at preparing their students for the rigorous courses that their students choose."

Bill Rammell, Minister for Higher Education added, "Congratulations on your results - if you haven't yet got a university place, it's not too late and there's lots of help available. Over 30,000 people will find a place through UCAS Clearing. More students than ever before will be able to get financial assistance to help with the costs of higher education, including loans, bursaries and non-repayable grants - so don't let money put you off going to university."

For more information on the clearing process see the QS Top Universities article 'Clearing the way' and for a range of ways to manage your money at university check out the Student Finance section on QS Top Universities.

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