76% of English 18-year-old applicants have been accepted into their first choice of university.

Hundreds of thousands of young people across England are celebrating their A Level, T Level and Vocational Technical Qualifications (VTQ) results today as the Education Secretary thanked teachers and congratulated students.

It comes as 32.1% of all English 18-year-olds have been accepted into university with 75.7% of applicants being accepted into their first choice university up from 71.6% in 2023 and 74.5% in 2019.

The gap between the most and least disadvantaged 18-year-olds in England has widened as has the gap in regional entry rates.

This year results also show that

- 27.8% of UK entries for A levels achieved a grade A and above, higher than in 2023.

- 76.4% of UK entries achieved a grade C and above, higher than 2023.

- 7,380 T Level students received their results today - over twice as many as last year - as the third cohort completed the high-quality technical qualification with 88.7% achieving a pass or above.

- Almost 250,000 certificates were awarded for those completing their Level 3 vocational and technical qualifications.

- 25.3% of 18-year-olds from the North East have secured a university place on results day compared to 42.5% of 18-year-olds from London. This gap is now 17.2ppts, which is worse than 15.3ppts in 2023 and 10.5ppts in 2019.

Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson said: "Students should be incredibly proud of their hard work over the last two years and their achievements today – I know many will be planning their next step, whether that’s university, venturing into the world of work or starting an apprenticeship.

"I want to thank our wonderful teachers and staff right across the country who have worked tirelessly to support those getting their results under really challenging circumstances.

"This government is committed to breaking down barriers to make sure that all young people, wherever they are from, have the knowledge and skills to seize opportunity."

The figures today show that regional disparities are still a concern as the gap between the highest and lowest performing regions has grown since 2023, with London having 31.3% of grades at A or above and East Midlands only 22.5%.

Independent schools also continue to have the highest proportion of A grades and above and have again seen large increases this year.

If students have not received the grades they were hoping for or have not made up their mind yet, UCAS reported there were just under 30,000 courses available through clearing (https://www.ucas.com/clearing-launch), as of this morning, many of which are at the most selective universities.

Students can also call the National Careers Service (https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk) on 0800 100 900 for advice on their next steps.