Why are more students being handed top degrees?

Analysis: As pressure to cut out grade inflation increases, Eleanor Busby looks at how it began

Policymakers have repeatedly called for action to curb the trend (Getty/iStock)

Two decades ago, just 7 per cent of undergraduates were awarded first class degrees. Now, more than one in four students are being handed the top qualification.

The rapid increase in top degrees being awarded in recent years has prompted widespread concern about grade inflation across the sector, with policymakers repeatedly calling for action to curb the trend.

But despite that rising pressure, the number of students obtaining firsts is still at a record high. Why?

A sector-wide review is ongoing to look into how far grade inflation has played a part in the rise, as universities argue that the growth could be as a result of students working harder than before.

However, recent analysis from the Office for Students, which warned of grade inflation, found that these increases in first class degrees are "unexplained" in nearly three in four universities in England.

The regulator looked at whether the numbers have risen because more students are arriving on campus with better A-level attainment, an argument made by some, but it found that this could not be explained.

Increased competition between universities to recruit would-be students, who now pay up to £9,250 a year, could be driving the trend. Currently, there are fewer 18-year-olds in the population at a time when student numbers at institutions are uncapped and the fees are some of the highest in the world.

Some universities may be keen to highlight the high number of graduates who obtain firsts in their marketing materials so they can suggest that choosing them would offer value for money.

It is also feared that universities are giving out more top degrees to improve their league table positions – some of which rate them on the number of first class degrees awarded – and boost recruitment.

However, it has been argued that the higher tuition fees could also have led to a rise in the number of students taking their degrees more seriously and working harder, which may have driven attainment. Universities also say that teaching has improved and there has been greater investment in support.

So why does it matter? The most significant concern among critics is that a significant increase in top grades will devalue qualifications, which they say is not in the best interests of students or employers.

Already, businesses are turning away from degree outcomes to judge a candidates’ potential – instead focusing on extra-curricular achievements – amid concerns about grade inflation.

Ministers also warn that the practice risks undermining the world-class reputation of British universities.

But despite numerous calls for action, there is little suggestion about what universities, which make their own individual decisions on how degrees are awarded, should do to reverse the trend.

Last year, a thinktank suggested that university students should sit national assessments for each degree course, similar to the system in schools, to reduce the proportion of first class degrees.

However, autonomous universities are unlikely to sign up to a national scheme which they see as threatening the sector’s independence and diversity.

So it is going to take more than ministerial threats to overhaul the system – but, if employers and students join the campaign and speak out about the risks, change could finally be afoot.