LIVE: A-level results day sees thousands of students learn exam grades

Students now need up to £56,000 to get them through university even after taking out student loans, a think tank has found.

The Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) found rising costs are increasing the burden on families of sending their child to study away from home.

A family hoping to support three children through degrees would have to find up to £168,000.

While everyone gets loans to cover the full cost of tuition fees, maintenance loans for living expenses may only cover as little as a quarter of the cost.

It means families need to start saving early if they want their child to be financially comfortable during their studies.

The figures came ahead of A-level results day.

Pupils who missed their grades will today rush to get university placements through Clearing.

The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (Ucas) runs a process each summer to match students with university or college courses which still have spaces.

Pupils can use the scheme if they do not get the grades for a conditional offer, do not receive any offers they want to accept or decide after June 30 to apply for university.

Anyone who achieves better grades than expected and wishes to change universities can also use Clearing, which is open on the Ucas website from July 5 to October 5.

Students can add a choice in the Ucas hub from 1pm this afternoon – and about 50,000 people tend to find their place through the scheme each year.

Some 18 of the 24 Russell Group universities said yesterday they still have places up for grabs, including Durham, Bristol and King’s College London.

Between them, they have 3,492 courses available – 13 per cent of the total 27,000 which are still on offer across all universities.

A teenager whose research into medical cannabis has highlighted gaps in scientific research is among those who won a place at Oxford University.

Ariana Howells, 17, achieved three A*s and one A in A-level biology, chemistry, maths, and English literature, plus 97% in her Extended Project Qualification, and will now take her place at St Hilda College to study biochemistry.

Ariana, from Barry in Wales, carried out research examining the extent THC, a component of cannabis, can ‘negatively affect sleep architecture’ as part of her studies.

The project highlighted the drug’s promise, as well as gaps in existing research.

Ariana, a scholarship student at Cardiff Sixth Form College, said:

There were only seven studies worth citing. I expected clearer answers, but what I found was a real need for more in-depth, unbiased research. This is something I want to keep exploring at university and beyond.

Ariana’s interest in medical cannabis is personal as well as academic.

Her mother lives with Crohn’s disease, a chronic inflammatory bowel condition with no cure, and medical cannabis has played a crucial role in improving her quality of life.

Her parents run a medical cannabis clinic in Wales – Cannabis Clinic Cardiff – where the teenager has spent the last two years helping with admin and learning about the evolving science behind the plant-based treatment.

See our collection of charts and maps following the release of A-level results:

We can now show you reaction from some students opening their A-level results including one teenager who said they ‘didn’t matter’.

Among those interviewed by broadcasters was Harry, a 18-year-old from Bangor in Northern Ireland, who said his two As and a C were not important as he secured an apprenticeship with the Red Bull Formula One team.

Watch our video below:

Pupils are celebrating a bumper year for A-level results after scoring record top grades outside of the pandemic years.

In Rutland, East Midlands, a jaw-dropping 41 per cent of all entries were graded A or A* – making it the best-performing region in the UK.

Across all regions, 28.3 per cent of pupils got A/A* this year, compared with 27.8 per cent last year, and 25.4 per cent in 2019.

Outside of the Covid years of 2020-2022, when grades were vastly inflated due to teacher assessment, this is the highest proportion on record.

In addition, 9.4 per cent of entries got A* grades this year – almost 1 in 10 – up from 9.3 per cent last year and 7.7 per cent in 2019 – making this also a non-pandemic record.

The top results meant a record 439,180 were accepted onto degree courses, up 3.1 per cent on the same point last year.

The A-level gender gap has reversed as boys outperformed girls in top grades for the first time in seven years.

The proportion of boys’ entries awarded A or A* this year was 28.4 per cent, 0.2 percentage points higher than the equivalent figure for girls at 28.2 per cent.

Last year, girls across England, Wales and Northern Ireland led boys by 0.4 percentage points – with figures of 28 per cent for girls and 27.7 per cent for boys.

Boys have also this year extended their lead over girls in the highest grade, A*. The proportion of boys’ entries awarded the top grade this year was 9.9 per cent, 0.8 points higher than girls.

Last year, boys led girls by 0.4 percentage points (9.5 per cent for boys, 9.1 per cent for girls).

Boys have traditionally led girls, scoring more A* grades than their female classmates every year between 2012 and 2019.

But girls overtook boys between 2020 and 2022 – the years of the Covid-19 pandemic when results were based on teacher assessments instead of exams.

However, following a return to normal assessment procedures, boys reclaimed a 0.3-point lead in 2023.

Following the release of the national data, here are some key statisitcs to highlight from this year’s A-level results day:

• A total of 28.3% of entries were awarded either an A or A*, up from 27.8% in 2024 and above 25.4% in 2019
• Some 9.4% of entries received an A*. This is also up on last year (9.3%) and higher than the figure for 2019 (7.7%)
• There were 77.9% of entries that received a C or above, up from 76.4% in 2024 and above the pre-pandemic figure of 75.9% in 2019
• The overall pass rate (grades A* to E) was 97.5%. This is up from 97.2% in 2024 but below 2019, which was 97.6%
• Across the regions of England, London saw the highest proportion of entries awarded grades of A or A* (32.1%, up from 31.3% in 2024) while north-east England had the lowest (22.9%, down from 23.9% in 2024)
• The gap between these two regions now stands at 9.2 percentage points, up from 7.4 points last year and the largest since the present system of grading began in 2010
• Some 30.4% of entries in Northern Ireland received A or A*, higher than the equivalent figure for Wales (29.5%) and England (28.2%)
• The proportion of boys’ entries awarded A or A* this year was 28.4%, 0.2 percentage points higher than the equivalent figure for girls’ entries (28.2%). Last year, girls led boys by 0.4 percentage points (28.0% for girls, 27.6% for boys)

Education leaders had warned of ‘stark’ divides in results between different regions because of the legacy of Covid-19 and socio-economic factors.

The latest Ofqual figures show wide regional differences in outcomes, with the North East the only region in England to see a drop in the proportion of top grades down on last year and 2019.

Jill Duffy, chairwoman of JCQ board of directors and chief executive of the OCR exam board, said:

Regional inequalities are getting worse, not better.

The gap at top grades (A*-A) has grown again. London is once again the top performing region and is now 9.2 percentage points ahead of the North East. These regional inequalities need more attention.

The figures also show boys have outperformed girls in terms of top grades for the first time in seven years.

Overall, 28.4 per cent of boys’ A-level entries scored an A* or A this summer, compared to 28.2 per cent of their female classmates’ entries – a gap of 0.2 percentage points. The last time boys had a lead was in 2018.

Last year, girls were ahead with 28.0 per cent of entries scoring at least an A, compared to 27.6 per cent of those from boys, the latest figures show.

The gap between the proportion of A-level entries in London awarded the highest grades and those in north-east England is at its widest since the current system of grading was introduced, the 2025 exam figures show.

Some 32.1 per cent of entries in the capital were awarded A or A* this year, the highest for any region in England and up from 31.3 per cent in 2024.

By contrast, north-east England had the lowest regional percentage this year at 22.9 per cent, down from 23.9 per cent in 2024.

The gap between these two regions now stands at 9.2 percentage points, up from 7.4 points last year and the largest since the present system of grading began in 2010, according to analysis by the PA news agency.

North-east England is one of just two regions to see a year-on-year drop in entries receiving top grades, the other being West Midlands (down from 24.8 per cent to 24.2 per cent).

It is also the only region where the proportion of entries awarded A or A* this year, 22.9 per cent, is lower than the equivalent figure in the pre-pandemic year of 2019 (23 per cent).

For entries receiving the top grade of A*, London again had the highest proportion (11.6 per cent, up from 11.3 per cent) and north-east England the lowest (6.8 per cent, down from 7.8 per cent).

The gap here of 4.8 percentage points is wider than in 2024 (3.5 points) but not as large as during the pandemic, when it reached 6.8 points in 2021.

Pupils are celebrating a bumper year for A-level results after scoring record top grades outside of the pandemic years.

This morning, 28.3 per cent of pupils got A/A* this year, compared with 27.8 per cent last year, and 25.4 per cent in 2019.

Outside of the Covid years of 2020-2022, when grades were vastly inflated due to teacher assessment, this is the highest proportion on record.

In addition, 9.4 per cent of entries got A* grades this year – almost 1 in 10 – up from 9.3 per cent last year and 7.7 per cent in 2019 – making this also a non-pandemic record.

The top results meant a record 439,180 were accepted onto degree courses, up 3.1 per cent on the same point last year.

Ofqual said this morning results are ‘stable’ and suggested any changes could be due to the fact that this year students are cleverer.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has said that A-level results this year are ‘broadly in line with previous years’.

Speaking to Nick Ferrari on LBC, she said:

If we were to compare between years, we’d probably compare with either last year or 2019. Of course during the pandemic there was a lot of disruption, which I understand, and the then-Conservative government did have to make some difficult decisions about how to manage that process for our young people, but there were some problems.

I won’t dwell on them, that is in the past now, but there were some issues at the time about how some of that was managed. But where we are right now is that young people receiving their results today will have been the cohort of young people who sat their GCSEs in the usual way, so did them as part of that exam assessment process that everyone would expect to be the normal way of doing things.

More pictures have emerged of students in South London celebrating their A-level results at a school this morning.

Wide smiles and shocked expressions could be seen on some delighted 18-year-olds as they discovered their grades today.

In what has become an A-level results day tradition, Jeremy Clarkson has posted a message to students who didn’t get the results they wanted this morning.

The former Top Gear and Grand Tour presenter often posts on the day results are released to encourage students not to feel too disheartened if they are upset.

It follows on from last year when Clarkson posted:

Don’t worry if your A level results aren’t what you were hoping for. I got a C and two Us, and here I am, 46 years later, with my own pub. It opens next weekend if you fancy dropping in.

Although students can now collect their results, we won’t get the national picture on how the 2025 cohort has performed until later this morning.

At 9.30am we can start to bring you a national breakdown of the results including how many top grades were achieved, which UK regions had the best and worst results and which subjects are increasing popular or in decline.

Stay tuned for the latest updates.

While many students will undoubtedly be in celebratory mood today, there will be some students who may feel disappointed when they receive their results.

However, advice will be on hand for those who feel they didn’t get the results they wanted.

In a video published on her X page, West of England Mayor Helen Godwin has told how her A-level results day was a ‘disaster’ and the ‘worst day of her life’.

But Ms Godwin said after taking some advice and making good decisions, she is now in her ‘dream job’.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has told young people getting their results on Thursday to seek support if they do not get the grades they wanted.

Speaking to Sky News, she said:

My message to young people is that if you’ve got what you’ve needed to move on to the next step in your journey, that’s fantastic.

But if you haven’t there’s lots of support and advice that’s available, either from your school or college, but also through Ucas, if you’re considering going to university through clearing, and also the National Career Service, because there are lots of fantastic routes that are out there, whether that’s apprenticeships, university or much more besides.

More pictures have emerged of female students celebrating their A-level results at a school in the West Midlands.

A number of 18-year-old girls at Solihull School were seen hugging one another and putting their hands over their mouths moments after opening their envelopes this morning.

The Education Secretary has said there has been a ‘steadying of the ship’ after the disruption from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, she said:

What we’ve seen is a steadying of the ship, both this year and last following some of the disruption that we saw during the pandemic. These are young people who have not had disruption in recent times, but have had the full normal assessment process.

These are also young people who would have been the first to sit GCSEs under normal circumstances. So they’ve gone through the full regular GCSE cycle that you would have expected before the pandemic. So, this is a normal year, the kind of year that we would have seen before the pandemic hit.

Here are the first pictures we can show you this morning of students picking up their results.

Cameras in The Latimers Arts College in Barton Seagrave, Northamptonshire, show the reaction of 18-year-olds collecting their envelopes this morning.

The Prime Minister has congratulated students across the country receiving their results today and told them they should be ‘proud’ irrespective of the outcome.

Sir Keir Starmer said he wanted all young people to have the opportunity to ‘realise their ambition’.

Ucas has published early figures this morning showing record numbers of British 18-year-olds have been accepted into colleges and universities.

In total, 439,180 applicants have won a place to continue their education.

Here’s what we have also learned this morning:

• Overall, 226,580 UK 18-year-olds have been accepted at their first choice compared with 216,750 last year, up 4.5 per cent.
• The number of 18-year-olds accepted at higher, medium and lower tariff institutions have all increased; higher tariff up 7.2 per cent, medium tariff 4.5 per cent and lower tariff 1.4 per cent.
• The number of mature students (aged 21 and over) securing a place has declined, from 52,130 in 2024 to 50,880 this year, a drop of 2.4 per cent.
• The number of accepted international undergraduate students has risen from 51,170 in 2024 to 52,640 with the largest market, China, growing by 13 per cent.
• Subjects with the largest percentage increases in placed students this year are Engineering and Technology with 30,020 applicants, up 12.5 per cent, mathematical sciences with 9,220 acceptances, up 10.5 per cent and Law with 27,150 applicants, up 10.4 per cent.

Ucas data shows record numbers of British 18-year-olds have secured places at universities or colleges this year.

Figures published at 8am show 255,130 18-year-olds have been accepted, compared to 243,650 in 2024, a rise of 4.7 per cent.

Overall 82 per cent of those holding an offer who received their decision this morning have been placed on their first choice (UCAS’ firm), the same proportion as last year.

In total, 439,180 applicants (all ages, all domiciles) have been accepted, up 3.1 per cent on 425,860 last year – the highest number of placed students on results day on record.

A-level results for hundreds of thousands of 18-year-olds across England, Wales and Northern Ireland have now been released.

Good luck to everyone collecting their grades this morning!

Clearing is available to students who do not meet the conditions of their offer on A-level results day, as well as those who did not receive any offers.

Students who have changed their mind about what or where they wish to study, and also those who have applied outside the normal application window, can also use the clearing process through Ucas.

Applicants will be able to add a clearing choice from 1pm today.

In England, if a student is unhappy with their grade they can ask their school or college to request that the exam board review the marking.

If there are still concerns, the student can ask their school or college to appeal against the result.

The head of the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (Ucas) has already suggested many students will be celebrating their university placements today with a record number set to secure their first-choice preferences.

Jo Saxton said UK universities are increasingly keen to recruit British students because there is more ‘uncertainty’ surrounding international ones.

On the day before A-level results day, a sample of 129 of the UK’s largest higher education providers showed there were 22,518 courses with vacancies for undergraduate students living in England on the Ucas clearing site – which matches applicants to university places yet to be filled.

As of yesterday, 18 of the 24 Russell Group universities, which represent some of the most selective UK institutions, had vacancies on courses for English residents – a total of 3,492 courses between them.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has said it is a ‘day of celebration’ for young people ahead of A-level results.

Speaking to Times Radio, she said:

I’ll just start by saying that this is a really exciting day for young people. They’ve worked really hard. They’ve had brilliant support from their teachers and parents. It’s a day for celebration for our young people and there are lots of great routes out there.

University is one of them, but for young people who are considering other routes there are apprenticeships and plenty of other opportunities available too, and lots of advice available if you haven’t quite got what you needed, through Ucas and clearing, and also through the National Career Service.

As we await for the results to be released at 8am, here’s three key questions answered:

• Who will receive their exam results?

Schools and college leavers will receive their A-level and AS grades, as well as results for vocational technical qualifications (VTQs) at Level 3, on Thursday. Students in England will also receive their results for T-levels – which were launched to provide high-quality technical alternatives to A-levels.

• How can students access their grades?

While some students will receive their results via email, many will head into schools and colleges to collect them in person to say a final goodbye to teachers or receive some farewell advice. For those hoping to attend university, Ucas will receive the results directly and update applications in the Ucas Hub.

• What happened last year?

Last year, more than one in four (27.8%) of UK A-level entries were awarded an A or A* grade – up from 27.2% in 2023. It was the highest proportion of entries scoring top grades outside the pandemic-affected years of 2020-22. In 2019, the last year that summer exams were taken before the pandemic, 25.4% of entries were awarded A or A* grades. The Covid-19 pandemic led to an increase in top A-level and GCSE grades in 2020 and 2021, with results based on teacher assessments instead of exams.

Good morning and welcome to MailOnline’s live coverage of A-level results day.

We are starting a live page today as hundreds of thousands of nervous teenagers across England, Wales and Northern Ireland await their exam grades before deciding to head off to university, apprenticeships and work.

We can expect a wide range of emotions as some experience the unbridled joy of achieving the results they set out to attain while lingering uncertainty will be felt by others.

Stick with us throughout the day as we bring you the latest news, pictures and reaction from throughout the day with reporting from the Daily Mail’s Education Editor Eleanor Harding and Jamie Bullen.