UCAS figures published for Level 3 results day show 255,130 UK 18-year-olds have been accepted, compared to 243,650 in 2024 (+4.7%). Overall, 82% of those holding an offer have been placed on their first choice, the same proportion as last year.
In total, 439,180 applicants (all ages, all domiciles) have been accepted, up +3.1% on 425,860 last year – the highest number of placed students on results day on record.
There has been an increase in the number of 18-year-olds from the most deprived areas in England, Wales and Northern Ireland gaining a place. There have been 35,920 accepted students from IMD Quintile 1 (+6.4%), 1,260 accepted students from WIMD Quintile 1 (+5.3%), and 1,060 from NIMDM Quintile 1 (+5.5%).
Figures also show:
- Overall, 226,580 UK 18-year-olds have been accepted at their first (UCAS ‘firm’) choice compared with 216,750 last year (up 4.5%), while 26,330 have been placed at their insurance choice up from 24,850 in 2024 (up 6.0%). This means the UK 18-year-old entry rate on results day stands at 32.0%, an increase of 0.3 percentage points
- The number of UK 18-year-olds accepted at higher, medium and lower tariff institutions have all increased; higher tariff +7.2%, medium tariff +4.5% and lower tariff +1.4%
- The number of UK mature students (aged 21 and over) securing a place has declined, from 52,130 in 2024 to 50,880 this year (-2.4%)
- The number of accepted international undergraduate students applying via UCAS has risen (52,640 acceptances compared with 51,170 in 2024, up +2.9%) with the largest market, China, growing by +13.0% to 12,380 acceptances
- The subjects with the largest percentage increases in placed students this year are engineering and technology with 30,020 placed applicants, up from 26,680 last year (+12.5%), mathematical sciences with 9,220 acceptances, an increase from 8,350 in 2024 (+10.5%) and law with 27,150 placed applicants compared with 24,590 last year (+10.4%)
Dr Jo Saxton CBE, UCAS Chief Executive, said: “This year’s students were just 13 when the pandemic hit, and their secondary schooling was turned upside down. It’s great to see these applicants securing a university place in record numbers, seeking more education and investing in their futures. I am equally delighted to see how universities across the country have responded to their ambition.
“For any student who didn’t quite get the grades they were hoping for, or even those still yet to apply, there are plenty of options in Clearing with around 27,000 available courses. UCAS experts are also available on the phones, on social media and on the UCAS website, to help all those deciding on the next step that’s right for them.”
“It is encouraging to see that, with the increase of applicants being accepted to universities today, engineering and technology courses have seen the largest increase in placed applicants. It is also encouraging that for the second year running, there has been an increase in popularity of STEM subjects, with maths being the most popular A-Level subject.
“The demand for engineering at university and college has increased, but Universities UK research showed that allocation for ‘high cost’ courses such as engineering has decreased. This is a cause for concern, with the Government’s Industrial Strategy stating that ‘engineering skills are at the heart of several of the IS-8 sectors.’
“We continue to call on government to support the university sector in addressing the supply/demand gap for high cost courses such as engineering.
“As the Engineering and Manufacturing T Level sees its second year of completers, we continue to monitor their destinations. BTEC and other vocational routes provide crucial pathways to apprenticeships and technical qualifications, and we will be working with employers within our membership and with Skills England to ensure regional opportunities are available for young people to join the engineering workforce,” comments the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
Becca Gooch, Head of Research at EngineeringUK, comments: “Congratulations to all the students receiving their exam results today. STEM A Levels offer a vital stepping stone into careers in engineering and technology, so we are pleased to see an increased uptake among some key subjects. This includes maths (+4.4%), physics (+4.3%), and further maths (+7.2%). Design and Technology (D&T) entries were broadly stable (+0.3), although computing is down slightly (-2.8%).
“When looking at the gender breakdown, it’s great to see the 4.3% growth in physics was driven by a 7.9% increase in entries from girls. There was also a 3.3% increase in female entries for D&T, higher than the small increase (0.3%) seen overall. Despite the small overall decline in computing science, there was actually a 3.5% increase in entries from female students. Women are currently under-represented in engineering and technology, with just 16.9% of the workforce being female. And while there’s still more to be done to increase the uptake among girls of the STEM subjects that typically offer a route into engineering and technology, today’s results show things are moving in the right direction.
“For T Levels, we’re delighted to see a 56.2% increase in engineering and technology entries – taking the total to 5,643 young people. It’s positive to see the uptake among girls has increased to 12%, up from 9% last year, although this is still low.
“We were interested to see if universities would meet the increase in demand for applications for engineering and technology degrees this year. So, we’re delighted to see a 13% increase to 30,020 in accepted applicants for engineering and technology degrees this year, compared to 26,680 in 2024. This is brilliant news for the sector and suggests that efforts to attract more young people into engineering and technology are starting to pay off. With employers in need of more talent, it’s vital that we have a variety of accessible pathways and systems in place to facilitate the increased demand.
“With so much growth and endless opportunities to make a real-world impact, it’s a really exciting time to embark on a career in engineering and technology. From climate change to digital transformation – wherever students’ interests lie and whatever their preferred pathway might be, they can be assured of a rewarding and varied career in engineering and technology.”
