The Office for Students (OfS) has warned that universities in England are awarding too many top degree grades, with the number of graduates receiving first or upper-second class degrees rising from 67% in 2010-11 to 78% in 2016-17. The watchdog described the increase as 'unexplained' and said it could not be fully attributed to factors such as background, prior attainment, or improved teaching.
The analysis, based on 1,638,490 graduates from 148 English universities, found that the proportion of first-class degrees alone rose from 16% to 27% over the same period. In 2016-17, 77 universities showed a statistically significant unexplained increase in first-class awards relative to other institutions and their own 2010-11 levels.
Fourteen institutions had an unexplained rise of above 20% in firsts and upper-seconds, with the University of Bradford leading at 24.6%, followed by Coventry University at 24.4%. For firsts alone, 13 universities saw an unexplained rise of over 20%, with the University of Surrey recording the highest increase at 27.3%.
Nicola Dandridge, chief executive of the OfS, said the findings would make 'uncomfortable reading' for some universities. She stressed the importance of maintaining degree value for students, graduates, and employers, warning that 'spiralling grade inflation' undermines public confidence. While acknowledging that improved teaching and student support could account for some of the rise, she insisted significant unexplained inflation remained.
Universities UK responded that institutions are already addressing grade inflation, with measures being consulted on by the UK Standing Committee for Quality Assessment. Education Secretary Damian Hinds urged universities to tackle the issue, calling the figures a 'wake-up call' and asking the OfS to deal firmly with any institution found to be unreasonably inflating grades.
