Issued by: Department for Education

Record number of 18-year-olds in England get first choice university, as T Levels continue to grow and government tackles inequalities through Plan for Change.

Hundreds of thousands of young people across England are celebrating receiving their A level, T Level and Vocational Technical Qualifications (VTQ) results today (14 August), as the Education Secretary thanked teachers and congratulated students.

University continues to be a popular choice for young people with record numbers (193,510, up from 184,400 in 2024) of English 18-year-olds receiving their first choice of university. 20.4% of disadvantaged 18-year-olds being accepted to higher education, up from 19.8% in 2024 and 17.4% in 2019.

But like in previous years, results today have exposed inequalities which continue to exist in the education system, with big gaps between regions and with poor outcomes year on year for pupils from white working-class backgrounds. This follows the government setting out a clear focus on tackling these issues head on and ensuring white working-class pupils – especially boys – are supported to thrive in school and go on to get well-paid jobs.

T Levels also continue to deliver strong results for students. The overall pass rate for T Levels is 91.4%, with almost two thirds of students (65.3%) achieving a merit or above, as this innovative new qualification offering hands-on experience of work in an in-demand sector continues to grow. Last year, 97% of T Level students who applied to university received at least one offer, with others progressing onto an apprenticeship or a job. T Level industry placements offer strong work experience, insights into competitive sectors which students might not otherwise get, and lead to good jobs - with around a third of students that get jobs after their course doing so with their chosen T Level industry placement employer.

The figures build on the government’s drive to deliver the skilled workforce the country needs and follows the announcement of a new £100m investment just this week in ten specialist Construction Technical Excellence Colleges (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/40000-people-to-get-skills-in-new-technical-excellence-colleges) to offer even more opportunities to build successful careers in trades.

Over the past 12 months, the government has already made progress in fixing the foundations of education through its Plan for Change and turning the tide on stubborn challenges. Attendance is up, with over five million fewer days of absence this year compared to last. And teacher recruitment and retention is up, with 2,300 more teachers in our schools.

Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, said:

"Students should be incredibly proud of their hard work and their achievements today, and I am immensely grateful to teachers and school staff for everything they have done to support students up to this point.

"Every single young person collecting their results today should have the opportunity to pursue their dreams - whether that starts with further study, university, an apprenticeship or the world of work - but too often, opportunities depend on background rather than talent. The entrenched divide in outcomes seen over the last few years and the lack of progress for children from white working-class backgrounds is particularly concerning.

"Through our Plan for Change we are breaking the link between background and success, starting with reformed early years and revitalised family services, through to ambitious reforms to our school and post-16 system to make sure every young person, wherever they grow up, is truly ready for life and work."

Progress sits alongside vital, wider work to tackle disadvantage such as expanding free school meals, providing free breakfast clubs across the country and revitalising family services in every local authority.

Results today show that:

• At grade C and above at A level, the North East is now the only region where attainment remains below pre-pandemic levels.

• More pupils are taking maths, physics and chemistry A levels than at any other time since modern records began - and more of these pupils taking these subjects are achieving a grade C - preparing them to work in the STEM sectors in the future.

• Almost 12,000 students received T Level results this year, up from just over 7,000 last year and around 3,500 in 2023.

• Almost 240,000 certificates were awarded for those completing their Level 3 vocational and technical qualifications.

24.9% of 18-year-olds from the North East have secured a university place on results day compared to 43.4% of 18-year-olds from London. This gap is now 18.5 percentage points, which is the highest on record, up from 17.3 percentage points in 2024 and 11.9 in 2019.

For A level results the gap between this year’s lowest performing region (East Midlands) and highest performing (London) is 6.0 percentage points at C and above. While the gap has decreased from 6.3 percentage points in 2024 it is still greater than in 2019 (when the equivalent gap was 5.2 percentage points).

Later this year government will publish Schools and Post-16 Skills white papers, setting out further reforms to build an education system where every child and young person can achieve and thrive, regardless of their background or circumstances.

To further break down barriers to opportunity for young people, the government has also launched the Youth Guarantee, which will ensure that every 18-21-year-old in England will have support to access an apprenticeship, quality training and education opportunities or help to find a job, backed by £45 million investment.

Additional information for students

• If students did not receive the grades they were hoping for or have not made up their mind yet, there are thousands of places available through Clearing.

• Expert help is also on hand from the National Careers Service online hub, webchat or by phone (0800 100 900) for advice on their next steps.

• For more information and to explore all the other exciting options available to young people go to: Skills for Careers: https://www.skillsforcareers.education.gov.uk

DfE media enquiries

Central newsdesk - for journalists 020 7783 8300

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