Higher Education Student Statistics: UK, 2019/20 - Qualifications achieved

How many HE qualifications were achieved?

The total number of qualifications achieved in 2019/20 was 800,335. This was a decrease of 3% in the number of qualifications achieved in comparison to 2018/19. Evidence suggests that some of this decrease is explained by significant numbers of qualifications awarded this year not being reported. This was because a few providers experienced administrative hold-ups related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The impact is most noticeable on the number of part-time qualifications awarded. More details of the impact of COVID-19 on the data presented in this release can be seen in the notes.

• First degree qualifications reported this year fell by 9,175 compared with those reported in 2018/19. Most of this decrease was among part-time first degree qualifications.
• Masters taught qualifications were the only level to show an increase from 2018/19 to 2019/20. An increasing trend of qualifications from 2016/17 aligns with the increased uptake of masters students following the introduction of postgraduate loans.
• Females accounted for 2,620 of the 2,710 increase in all masters taught qualifications from 2018/19 to 2019/20.
• In 2015/16, masters taught qualifications accounted for 22% of all qualifications awarded. By 2019/20 this increased to 26%.

Of those gaining a classified first degree:

• The percentage of students achieving a first class honours increased from 28% in 2018/19 to 35% in 2019/20. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic this year, many providers issued public statements that a 'no detriment' approach would be adopted when it came to assessment. This typically ensured that students would be awarded a final grade no lower than the most recent provider assessment of their attainment. More details on the impact of COVID-19 can be seen in the notes section of this release.
• The share of students who received a lower second qualification classification fell by 4 percentage points from 19% in 2018/19 to 15% in 2019/20.
• A larger proportion of female students gained a first or upper second class honours than male students.
• In a continuing trend, full-time students had a larger proportion of first or upper second class honours than part-time students.

There were 20,595 students who qualified with an unclassified first degree in 2019/20. This mainly includes degrees that don't have a classification, such as medicine. These students are excluded from figure 16 but included in the total number of first degree qualifiers in figure 15.

• The percentage of qualifiers who gained qualifications in science subjects increased according to age group.
• Among qualifiers obtaining a first degree, there was a 50% split between males qualifying in science subjects versus those qualifying in non-science subjects. For females, the proportion qualifying in science subjects was 41%.

• Summary
• Student numbers and characteristics
• Where students come from and go to study
• Subjects studied
• Qualifications achieved
• Notes