A total of 262,820 UK 18-year-olds gained a place at university or college according to Ucas, with the number from the most disadvantaged backgrounds also soaring
The number of students getting into university has risen to a record high.
A total of 262,820 UK 18-year-olds gained a place at university or college according to Ucas, with the number from the most disadvantaged backgrounds also soaring.
The university admissions service said it is the highest number of placed students on results day on record, driven by a rising number of 18-year-olds in the population.
International student numbers also increased 2%, with, 53,740 applicants accepted onto undergraduate courses. Accepted applicants from China rose to 13,870 from 12,380 last year.
The proportion of candidates earning top grades rose for the third year in a row, and remains higher than before the world was hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.
More than a quarter (28.5%) of UK entries were awarded an A or A* grade, up by 0.2% percentage points on last year, when 28.3% achieved the top grades.
Boys outperformed girls in terms of top grades again, having doing so for the first time in seven years last year.
Overall 28.9% of boys’ A-level entries scored an A* or A this summer, compared to 28.0% of their female classmates.
The most popular subject for this academic year was maths, for the 13th year in a row. It had 115,380 entries, up 3.9% from 111,033 in 2025. About one in eight of all A-level entries this year were for maths.
It is the highest proportion of entries scoring top grades outside the pandemic-affected years of 2020-22, according to the figures from the Joint Council for Qualifications for England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Jo Saxton, chief executive of Ucas, said: “Today’s school leavers were just starting secondary school when the pandemic interrupted their education.
“Given the significant disruption they faced at such a formative stage of their learning, it is wonderful to see so many young people getting a place at university or college.”
New PM Andy Burnham added: “I want to congratulate everyone receiving their results today.
“I know there will have been a mix of excitement, nerves and relief this morning, but you should all be proud of the hard work that got you here.”
Mr Burnham pledged in a speech during his bid for the Labour leadership that the “days of a school system configured entirely around the university route will be brought to an end”.