1 in 4 still get first-class degrees

FEWEr students should be awarded first class university degrees in a bid to stamp out grade inflation, the UK Education secretary said yesterday.

More than one in four undergraduates (28.4 per cent) achieved the top honour last year – double the percentage who gained a first in 2008-09 (14 per cent), and up slightly on 2017-18 (27.8 per cent).

The Higher Education statistics agency figures show almost half of students (48 per cent) graduated with a 2.1 last year, meaning 76 per cent gained one of the two top honours – up from only 50 per cent in 2000. critics say universities are watering down standards to keep students happy and artificially boost their position in league tables.

Education secretary Gavin Williamson has now promised to clamp down on the practice. He said grade inflation threatened to ‘undermine the international reputation’ of British universities and make degrees all but worthless.

‘This is something that we have to stop, and we will stop,’ he said. ‘We are going to reverse that trend, working hand in glove with the Office for students. We are not going to continue to tolerate that continuous drift. Universities are expected to use their awarding powers responsibly and must not inflate grades for their own reputation or league table ranking.’

Office for students chief executive Nicola Dandridge said: ‘This data shows us that the rapid increase in the rates of students being awarded first class degrees has stalled. This arrests a longterm trend. Grade inflation risks undermining public confidence in higher education for students, graduates and employers alike.’

a Universities UK spokesman said: ‘We should not overlook the evidence that students are working harder and improvements in teaching and investment in academic support and widening participation initiatives are also leading to legitimate grade improvement.’