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More UK Students are Graduating With a First Than Ever Before

By Craig OCallaghan

Updated July 20, 2017 Updated July 20, 2017

Want to turn that first into a masters? This should help

Students at UK universities are more likely than ever before to graduate with a first, with nearly a quarter of all students in 2016 receiving the highest grade possible.

A record-high 24% of all graduates received a first-class degree last year and that figure is even higher at some universities. The University of Surrey awarded a first to nearly half of its graduates, with 41% receiving the top degree classification. This is more than double the percentage of firsts awarded at the university five years ago.

The percentage of first-class degrees was also above average among the prestigious Russell Group universities, with more than a quarter of students at these universities earning top honors.

According to the Higher Education Statistics Agency, it’s now more common to graduate with a first than a 2:2, with only 21% of students receiving a lower second last year. 2:1 remains the most common degree, received by 51% of graduates.

Commentators have pointed the finger at universities for causing this rapid grade inflation, criticizing the fact universities can award as many firsts as they like.

Professor Smithers, of the University of Buckingham, told the BBC: “[Universities] have every incentive to [award a high number of firsts]. Students like to have top-class degrees and may choose universities on that basis. If every other university is doing it, you don’t want to be left behind.”

Where to study if you want to graduate with a first

	University	% of first-class degrees awarded
1	Imperial College London	41.8
2	University of Surrey	41.2
3	University College London	35.6
4	University of Dundee	34.8
5	University of East Anglia	34
6	University of Oxford	33.2
7	King’s College London	31.9
8	University of Cambridge	31.7
9	University of Bath	30.8
10	University of Salford	30.4

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Lead image: School of English and Drama, QMUL (Flickr)

Want to turn that first into a masters? This should help

This article was originally published in July 2017 .

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Craig OCallaghan

As Head of Content, Craig is responsible for all articles and guides published across TopUniversities and TopMBA. He has nearly 10 years of experience writing for a student audience and extensive knowledge of universities and study programs around the world.