A Level results day 2025: How many students got into their first choice university - and what they're studying

• Today is the 2025 A Level results day, and top grades and the overall pass rate have both risen
• More than 250 thousand 18-year-olds were accepted into university based on the grades they’ve just received
• About 8 in 10 of them got an offer from the UCAS ‘firm choice’
• More students from the most deprived parts of the country have also been accepted into university
• But some inter-regional disparities still remain

A record number of students across the UK will not only be able to celebrate their A Level results, but their acceptance into one of their top university picks.

Thursday (August 14) is A Level results day, and both the proportion of students getting top grades and the overall pass rate have risen this year. Now, learners will be turning their eyes to what comes next, which for many of them will be continuing their educational journey at university.

This year’s results have brought with them good news for these university hopefuls, according to UCAS – the UK’s Universities and Colleges Admissions Service. But just how many have managed to secure an offer from the university they most wanted to attend, and how many students are expected to navigate the Clearing process this year?

Here’s what you need to know:

How did 2025’s aspiring university students do?

UCAS figures released on Thursday show that overall, a record 255,130 18-year-old students from across the UK have been accepted into university based on their results day outcomes, up 4.7% on last year. A whopping 82% of those students who received a decision this morning now hold an offer from their first choice university – also known as their UCAS ‘firm choice’.

The overall rate of UK 18-year-olds currently set to start university this autumn has also seen a modest rise, currently standing at 32%. The UK now has 439,180 university-bound students total, UCAS says, including 324,630 in England, 34,710 in Scotland, 11,480 in Northern Ireland, and 15,720 in Wales.

UCAS chief executive Dr Jo Saxton said that this year's students were just 13 when the pandemic hit – “and their secondary schooling was turned upside down”. She continued: “It’s great to see these applicants securing a university place in record numbers, seeking more education and investing in their futures. I am equally delighted to see how universities across the country have responded to their ambition.”

“For any student who didn’t quite get the grades they were hoping for, or even those still yet to apply, there are plenty of options in Clearing with around 27,000 available courses,” Dr Saxton added. “UCAS experts are also available on the phones, on social media and on the UCAS website, to help all those deciding on the next step that’s right for them.”

Who are the students going to university this autumn - and what are they studying?

In some positive news, there has been a marked increase in the number of 18-year-olds from the most deprived areas in England, Wales and Northern Ireland gaining a place. Some 35,920 students from the parts of England considered to be the most deprived have been offered a place – up 6.4% on last year – while there were 1,260 accepted students from the most deprived areas of Wales, an increase of 5.3%, and 1,060 from the most deprived areas of Northern Ireland, up 5.5%.

Trends in the numbers of students offered a place per region also remained fairly consistent, including the apparent disparities. Of any English region, the North East had the lowest amount of accepted applicants as of results day at just 11,520, while London had the most at 67,630. But the Guardian reports that the actual proportion of 18-year-olds in the North East accepted into university was just under one in four (24.9%), the only region that fell since last year, with 43.4% of London’s 18-year-old population accepted.

The number of mature students, classed as those over 21, has fallen this year. The amount offer a place has fallen about 2.4%, from 52,130 in 2024 to 50,880. But on the other hand, the number of international students offered places has risen. Some 52,640 new undergraduates have been accepted this year, up 2.9% from 51,170 in 2024. The largest market was China, growing a huge 13% on last year, to 12,380 acceptances.

In terms of the courses they’ll be taking, UCAS says that engineering and technology have seen the largest percentage increase in students this year, with 30,020 applicants offered places, up from 26,680 last year – an increase of 12.5%. Mathematical sciences is also seeing a bump in popularity from this year’s new cohort of students, with 9,220 accepted onto courses, up 10.5% from 8,350 in 2024.

Outside of STEM subjects, law is also proving to be a popular choice. It has seen 27,150 applicants receive places in 2025, up 10.4% from 24,590 last year.

Have you or a young student in your life got their results today, but are unsure what to do next? If you’ve landed the offer from your dream university, here’s how to accept it – and here’s how to apply for a student loan if you haven’t already. For those that haven't secured a place yet, here's our guide to navigating the Clearing process.