Grade inflation at universities

The Office for Students (OfS) has said that the proportion of students awarded first-class degrees continues to increase, rising by 80% since 2010-11 It has warned that for almost three-quarters of universities, such increases in top grades are "unexplained". Susan Lapworth, director of competition for the OfS, said, "Worries about grade inflation threaten to devalue a university education in the eyes of employers and potential students." Over 40,000 more students graduated with "firsts" last summer than seven years before.

The study also looked at those awarded either first or 2:1s. At Bristol University 92% of students are awarded either a first or 2:1 and at Cambridge 94%. There have also been big increases in the proportion of students awarded these two top grades despite beginning university with relatively low A-level grades. Among those going to university with grades below DDD at A-level, seven years ago 40% were awarded the top two grades, this has risen to above 70%.

Record numbers apply to university

Record numbers of English 18 year olds have applied to university. UCAS figures show that 236,350 school leavers, 40% in total, had applied by the end of June, 3,970 more than in 2018. However, the number of 18 year olds in Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland applying for degrees has fallen. Across the UK as a whole, 275,520 young people applied to university this year, up from 272,910 in 2018, but down from 278,130 in 2017. There were record numbers of black, Asian and mixed-race applicants, while the number of white applicants continues to fall. Surprisingly, the number of applicants, across all age groups, from the EU rose by 540 from 50,120 in 2018 to 50,660 this year. There was also a rise in applicants from outside the EU applying to UK universities to 81,340, an increase of 8%.

Parents pay the price of university

A survey by the consumer group Which? of over 800 parents of current and prospective students found that 2:3 will use their monthly income to cover the costs and over a quarter will dip into their savings. Over a quarter have had to, or are planning to, cut back on spending on home improvements, cars and holidays to support their child at university, while 6% said that they have or will have to take on a second job to cover the costs of their child’s higher education. Overall, 84% of parents of current students said they were financially supporting their child at university and nearly half of those said the overall cost was more than they expected, contributions averaged £360 a month.

More details of 'T levels' released

UCAS has announced how T levels are to be graded. T-levels contain a mixture of classroom learning and ‘on-the-job’ experience, including a placement in the workplace of at least 315 hours. Candidates will be awarded one of four overall grades, ranging from Distinction* to a Pass. They will also get a nationally recognised certificate which will show their overall grade and a breakdown of what they have achieved across the T-level programme.

All change at Informed Choices

The Russell Group of universities has decided to change its very widely used Informed Choices guidance from a booklet published annually to a website.  The aim of this is to broaden the advice they provide for application to their universities and to prevent potential applicants from narrowing their curriculum choices. You can visit the new site here.

Over-educated employees

The Office of National Statistics has said that 31% of graduates are over educated for the job they are doing. For those graduating before 1992, the number was 22%, but this jumps to 34% for those graduating after 2007. London had the highest proportion of over educated workers, with about 25% overqualified for their job. Graduates in the Arts and Humanities were more likely to be under-using their education.

Best cities to work in post-Degree

Prospects, the UK agency responsible for graduate employability, has analysed the relationship between graduate salaries and the cost of living in 23 UK cities. Derby is top, due to having many well-paid jobs in engineering and a relatively low cost of living. Southampton and Coventry make the top three, due to their combination of a relatively strong graduate jobs market and affordable living. Leicester and Liverpool are high, although starting salaries are low, they are relatively cheap places to live. Brighton, London and Oxford offer some of the highest starting salaries, yet new graduates will have low disposable incomes due to high living expenses such as rents. 

Charlie Ball, head of higher education intelligence at Prospects, said, “Graduates may need to think carefully about chasing the highest possible salary if it means moving to somewhere with a high cost of living, particularly rents. A graduate may need an extremely attractive offer in London, far above the average salary, for it to be worth them leaving a less expensive labour market ... Graduates need to understand where value lies for their degree and whether it is worth remaining in a well-known jobs market on a lower salary or moving for more money where costs are higher. It’s a common assumption that the latter choice is always better, but the data strongly suggests that it is not.”