New data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency suggests grade inflation across UK universities is stagnating.
Figures from 2024 reveal that only 29 per cent of graduates received first-class honours, a third consecutive annual decline. Upper second-class honours remained stagnant at 48 per cent.
This indicates a shift from the long-term trend of grade inflation, which culminated during COVID-19, when 36 per cent of 2020 graduates received firsts.
To explain this pattern, The Student reached out to Professor Giardili from the University of Edinburgh School of Economics. She says:
“This multifaceted phenomenon is a result of the marketisation of [higher education (HE)] intensifying reputational competition alongside financial constraints.”
She added that its causes are both demand-side with “the expansion of HE significantly altering the composition of the student body” and supply-side as “instructors adjust their approaches to accommodate a changing student population.”
As for why the proportion of top grades is now shrinking, she suggested a mix of “regulatory and media pressure, reduced market competition, or changes in assessment methods introduced with Covid-19 and the emergence of AI tools.”
Despite the national slowdown, the University of Edinburgh remains among the top three universities awarding top-class degrees, with 92 per cent receiving firsts and 2:1s, according to Times Higher Education.
Students at Edinburgh expressed mixed feelings. While some see the slowdown as a fair correction, others pointed out that disparities between universities and subjects mean that not all students face the same grading standards.
A common frustration is that the value of top degrees has diminished, making it harder for graduates, particularly from competitive universities, to stand out to employers.
This recent plateau may signal a turning point for UK universities, prompting them to re-examine how to measure achievement and maintain academic integrity in an era of rapid technological change.
Image by Spencer Siles Giavalisco