The Office for Students (OfS) has warned that universities in England are awarding too many top degree grades, with an 'unexplained' rise in first and upper-second class degrees over recent years.
According to a new analysis, the proportion of graduates receiving first or upper-second class degrees increased from 67% in 2010-11 to 78% in 2016-17. The OfS says the rise cannot be fully attributed to factors such as student background, prior attainment, or improved teaching.
The report, based on data from 148 universities and 1,638,490 students, found that 77 institutions showed a statistically significant unexplained increase in first-class degrees. Fourteen universities had an unexplained rise of over 20% in firsts and upper-seconds, with the University of Bradford (24.6%) and Coventry University (24.4%) topping that list.
Nicola Dandridge, chief executive of the OfS, said the findings should be 'uncomfortable reading' for some universities and warned that 'spiralling grade inflation' undermines public confidence. Education Secretary Damian Hinds called the figures a 'wake-up call' and urged universities to tackle the issue.
Universities UK responded that steps are already being taken to address grade inflation, while individual institutions like Surrey and Coventry defended their rises, citing investments in teaching and student support.
