What Percentage Get a First? UK Degree Statistics (2026)
About 30% of UK graduates now get a first class degree. In 2024/25, 132,460 of the 445,720 classified first degrees awarded in the UK were firsts, according to HESA's Higher Education Student Statistics. In 2006/07 the share was 12.6%. The most common result is still a 2:1, at 48.8%.
This page covers the share of students who get each degree class: by year, subject, university and student background. If you want the marks needed for each class (70% for a first), see our UK university grade boundaries guide. Percentages below are our calculations from HESA's published counts unless stated, and exclude unclassified degrees, as HESA's own percentages do.
Key statistics
29.7% of classified UK first degrees awarded in 2024/25 were firsts, 132,460 of 445,720 (HESA, 2026).
48.8% of classified UK first degrees in 2024/25 were 2:1s, 18.6% were 2:2s and 2.9% were thirds or passes (HESA, 2026).
78.5% of UK graduates with a classified degree got a first or a 2:1 in 2024/25 (HESA, 2026).
The share of firsts rose from 12.6% in 2006/07 to a peak of 36.4% in 2020/21, then fell to 28.8% in 2023/24 before rising again to 29.7% in 2024/25 (HESA counts).
The number of firsts awarded each year rose from 36,645 in 2006/07 to 132,460 in 2024/25, 3.6 times as many (HESA).
Computing graduates got firsts 42.0% of the time in 2024/25, against 20.1% for law (HESA Table 50).
Imperial College London awarded firsts to 47.1% of classified graduates in 2024/25, the highest of 110 large UK providers; the median provider was at 29.9% (HESA).
33.5% of White UK-domiciled graduates got a first in 2024/25, compared with 16.8% of Black graduates (HESA Table 26).
31.3% of female UK-domiciled graduates got a first in 2024/25, against 28.7% of male graduates (HESA Table 26).
In England, 28.8% of graduates got firsts in 2023-24 against 17.7% predicted by the regulator's model, leaving nearly 40% of firsts unexplained (Office for Students, 2026).
What percentage of students get a first?
Just under a third: 29.7% of classified UK degrees in 2024/25, which HESA rounds to 30%.
HESA's published shares for 2024/25 are 30% first, 49% 2:1, 19% 2:2 and 3% third or pass (HESA, Figure 16).
UK providers awarded 476,530 first degrees in 2024/25, up from 465,415 in 2023/24. 30,195 of them were unclassified (HESA).
Counting unclassified degrees in the total, firsts were 27.8% of all 2024/25 first degrees. Medicine accounts for a large share of the unclassified group: 11,110 of 13,255 medicine and dentistry graduates had no classification (HESA Table 50).
Thirds and passes have become rare. 23,205 were awarded in 2006/07, 8.0% of classified degrees. In 2024/25 it was 13,005, 2.9% (HESA).
2:2s fell from 31.8% of classified degrees in 2006/07 to 18.6% in 2024/25. The 2:1 share barely moved, staying between 46% and 51% every year (HESA).
UK first degree classifications by year, share of classified degrees. Our calculation from HESA counts (OC051 Chart 9).
Year
First
2:1
2:2
Third or pass
Classified degrees
2006/07
12.6%
47.6%
31.8%
8.0%
291,410
2010/11
15.5%
48.4%
28.9%
7.2%
343,595
2014/15
21.9%
49.5%
23.1%
5.5%
374,955
2017/18
27.6%
48.4%
19.4%
4.6%
404,045
2018/19
28.2%
48.2%
19.2%
4.4%
409,905
2019/20
34.9%
47.1%
15.1%
2.9%
402,750
2020/21
36.4%
46.1%
14.5%
3.0%
428,235
2021/22
32.1%
46.5%
17.3%
4.0%
416,935
2022/23
29.5%
47.5%
19.8%
3.2%
414,855
2023/24
28.8%
47.8%
20.2%
3.2%
435,265
2024/25
29.7%
48.8%
18.6%
2.9%
445,720
How the share of firsts changed over time
Firsts more than doubled as a share between 2006/07 and 2018/19, jumped during the pandemic, and have settled at just under 30% since.
The share of firsts rose every single year from 12.6% in 2006/07 to 28.2% in 2018/19 (HESA counts).
It then jumped to 34.9% in 2019/20 and 36.4% in 2020/21. HESA notes that many providers adopted "no detriment" policies in 2019/20, which typically guaranteed students a final grade no lower than their most recent assessment (HESA Table 50 notes).
The share fell for three years in a row after the peak, to 28.8% in 2023/24, then rose to 29.7% in 2024/25 (HESA counts).
The Office for Students, which only covers England, puts the 2020-21 peak at 37.7% and the 2010-11 figure at 15.8%. Its figures differ slightly from HESA's UK-wide totals because it uses its own population definitions (Office for Students, 2026).
The share of firsts more than doubled in a decade, peaked during the pandemic and has held at just under 30% since 2022/23.
Percentage of first class degrees by subject
Science, maths and computing subjects award the most firsts. Law and business award the fewest.
42.0% of classified computing degrees in 2024/25 were firsts, the highest of any large subject group (HESA Table 50).
Law had the lowest share, 20.1%, followed by business and management at 23.7%. Business is also the biggest subject group, with 74,785 classified degrees (HESA Table 50).
Medicine and dentistry shows 44.3% firsts, but that is out of only 2,145 classified degrees. 11,110 medicine and dentistry graduates (84%) received unclassified degrees, so the figure doesn't describe a typical medical student (HESA Table 50).
Psychology, one of the most popular subjects, awarded firsts to 25.8% of classified graduates, but 82.7% got a first or 2:1 (HESA Table 50).
Subjects that award fewer firsts don't necessarily award worse degrees overall. Geography (social sciences) had a 28.9% first rate but the highest share of firsts plus 2:1s, 91.2% (HESA Table 50).
Share of first class degrees by subject (CAH level 1), UK, 2024/25. Our calculation from HESA Table 50; excludes unclassified degrees.
Subject
First
First or 2:1
Classified degrees
Computing
42.0%
81.2%
27,480
Mathematical sciences
40.3%
75.5%
7,925
Physical sciences
38.7%
77.7%
10,820
Engineering and technology
36.9%
79.6%
27,120
Design, and creative and performing arts
33.5%
79.9%
41,040
Subjects allied to medicine
32.8%
73.7%
57,750
Language and area studies
30.9%
86.7%
14,805
Education and teaching
30.1%
77.1%
12,135
Architecture, building and planning
29.9%
77.7%
8,875
Historical, philosophical and religious studies
28.4%
87.0%
15,325
Media, journalism and communications
27.6%
82.6%
9,365
Biological and sport sciences
26.9%
75.9%
23,070
Psychology
25.8%
82.7%
23,100
Social sciences
25.7%
79.1%
49,625
Business and management
23.7%
75.8%
74,785
Law
20.1%
76.0%
25,530
All subjects
29.7%
78.5%
445,720
Smaller subject groups not shown in the table: medicine and dentistry (44.3% of 2,145 classified), geography in the natural sciences (29.7%), geography in the social sciences (28.9%), agriculture and food (26.6%), veterinary sciences (23.3% of 580 classified) and combined studies (31.0%). Grade boundaries also differ by subject at some universities; our grade boundaries by subject guide covers that side.
Percentage of first class degrees by university
Among the 110 UK providers that classified at least 1,500 first degrees in 2024/25, the share of firsts ran from 10.9% to 47.1%, with a median of 29.9%.
Imperial College London had the highest share, 47.1% of 3,060 classified degrees, and 91.7% got a first or 2:1 (our calculation from HESA Table 16).
Oxford awarded firsts to 35.8% and Cambridge to 33.0%. Oxford had the highest share of firsts plus 2:1s of any large provider, 92.2% (HESA Table 16).
The highest shares were not only at research-intensive universities. The University of East London (44.5%), Staffordshire (42.9%) and Chester (40.4%) were all above UCL (39.2%) (HESA Table 16).
Arden University had the lowest share among large providers, 10.9%, followed by Leeds Trinity (14.2%) and Oxford Brookes (15.0%) (HESA Table 16).
Subject mix drives part of these differences. A university with a large computing or engineering intake will tend to award more firsts than one dominated by law or business, before any difference in marking.
Share of first class degrees at selected UK universities, 2024/25. Our calculation from HESA Table 16; excludes unclassified degrees.
University
First
First or 2:1
Classified degrees
Imperial College London
47.1%
91.7%
3,060
University College London
39.2%
87.7%
6,880
University of Manchester
37.9%
86.8%
7,850
University of Edinburgh
36.0%
89.2%
5,945
University of St Andrews
36.0%
88.6%
2,070
University of Oxford
35.8%
92.2%
2,935
London School of Economics
35.7%
90.1%
1,975
Durham University
35.3%
90.2%
5,000
University of Bath
34.4%
89.5%
3,745
King's College London
34.3%
85.9%
5,515
University of Leeds
33.5%
85.6%
6,665
University of Warwick
33.1%
87.7%
5,055
University of Cambridge
33.0%
89.8%
3,150
University of Bristol
31.8%
87.4%
5,925
The Open University
31.1%
72.5%
13,325
University of Exeter
31.1%
86.5%
6,210
University of Glasgow
30.7%
85.9%
4,090
University of Sheffield
30.3%
85.8%
4,905
University of Liverpool
29.9%
84.7%
6,060
University of Southampton
28.6%
83.1%
4,060
University of York
28.5%
83.9%
4,245
University of Birmingham
27.1%
83.3%
5,595
Newcastle University
26.4%
83.8%
5,280
Queen's University Belfast
26.3%
79.6%
3,940
University of Nottingham
25.1%
81.7%
6,525
Cardiff University
24.8%
79.5%
5,745
Who gets a first: sex, ethnicity, age and disability
The biggest gap in degree outcomes is by ethnicity: White graduates are about twice as likely as Black graduates to get a first.
These figures cover UK-domiciled graduates only (391,690 first degrees in 2024/25), from HESA Table 26.
33.5% of White graduates got a first, against 25.2% of Asian, 29.5% of Mixed and 16.8% of Black graduates.
The gap is wider when 2:1s are included: 82.3% of White graduates got a first or 2:1, against 64.8% of Black graduates.
Women did slightly better than men: 31.3% of female graduates got a first against 28.7% of male graduates, and 80.4% against 77.0% got a first or 2:1.
Women made up 59.5% of UK-domiciled first degree graduates (233,120 of 391,690).
Graduates with a known disability got firsts at almost the same rate as those without: 30.7% against 30.1%.
Age makes little difference to the first rate (30.0% for graduates aged 21 to 24, 30.7% for those aged 30 and over), but older graduates are less likely to get a 2:1 or better: 73.4% against 80.6%.
Grade inflation: how many firsts are unexplained?
The Office for Students says nearly 40% of firsts awarded in England in 2023-24 can't be explained by students' entry grades or subject mix.
The share of graduates awarded firsts in England fell from 29.6% in 2022-23 to 28.8% in 2023-24, the third fall in a row (Office for Students, 15 January 2026).
That is still nearly double the 15.8% of 2010-11, and below the 37.7% peak of 2020-21 (Office for Students, 2026).
Based on graduates' entry qualifications and subjects, the OfS model expected 17.7% to get firsts in 2023-24. The actual figure was 11.1 percentage points higher (Office for Students, 2026).
In the regulator's words, "nearly 40 per cent of firsts awarded could not be explained by the statistical model" (Office for Students, 2026).
"Unexplained" is not the same as "undeserved". The model only accounts for entry grades and subject, so better teaching, harder-working students or changes in how degrees are calculated would all show up as unexplained. The OfS treats it as a sign worth investigating, not proof of inflation.
Three common misreadings of these numbers
"One in three students gets a first." That was true in the pandemic years (34.9% in 2019/20 and 36.4% in 2020/21). Since 2022/23 the figure has been just under 30% (HESA).
"30% of students get a first" vs "28.8% of students get a first". Both are right. HESA's figure covers all UK providers and the most recent year, 2024/25. The OfS figure covers English providers for 2023-24, using its own population definitions.
We used only official statistics: HESA's Higher Education Student Statistics for 2024/25 (published January 2026), which cover every UK higher education provider, and the Office for Students' January 2026 analysis of degree classifications in England. Shares by year, subject, university and student group are our own calculations from HESA's published counts, using first, 2:1, 2:2 and third or pass as the denominator. This matches how HESA calculates its own percentages and excludes unclassified degrees. HESA rounds counts to the nearest 5, so small groups carry some rounding error. The university table lists providers with at least 1,500 classified degrees. All figures were checked against the source pages in October 2026. For A level results, see our A level results statistics.
You are welcome to use these statistics in your own writing. Please credit StudyCards AI with a link to this page.
APA
Groves, C. (2026). UK Degree Classification Statistics: What Percentage Get a First. StudyCards AI. https://studycardsai.com/blog/uk-degree-classification-statistics
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Frequently Asked Questions
What percentage of students get a first class degree in the UK?
About 30%. In 2024/25, 132,460 of the 445,720 classified first degrees awarded in the UK were firsts, 29.7% (HESA). That is up from 28.8% in 2023/24 but below the 36.4% peak of 2020/21. Including unclassified degrees, such as most medicine degrees, firsts were 27.8% of all first degrees.
What percentage of students get a 2:1?
48.8% of classified UK first degrees in 2024/25 were upper seconds (2:1), the most common result, according to HESA counts. Together with firsts, 78.5% of graduates got a 2:1 or better. 18.6% got a 2:2 and 2.9% got a third or pass.
Which subjects give the most first class degrees?
Among classified 2024/25 UK degrees, computing (42.0%), mathematical sciences (40.3%), physical sciences (38.7%) and engineering (36.9%) had the highest shares of firsts, from HESA counts. Law (20.1%) and business and management (23.7%) had the lowest. Medicine is higher still but most medicine degrees are unclassified.
Which UK university gives the most firsts?
Imperial College London, at 47.1% of classified 2024/25 degrees, the highest of the 110 UK providers that classified at least 1,500 first degrees (our calculation from HESA). Oxford was at 35.8% and Cambridge at 33.0%. The median across those 110 providers was 29.9%.
Is there grade inflation at UK universities?
The regulator for England thinks part of the rise is unexplained. The Office for Students found 28.8% of graduates got firsts in 2023-24, against 17.7% predicted by its model of entry grades and subject mix. That leaves nearly 40% of firsts that the model could not explain (OfS, January 2026).