More teens to get their choice of uni even if they miss their grades, says Ucas

According to the head of the Universities and College Admissions Service (Ucas), a record number of 18-year-olds are expected to enrol at their first-choice university this year, even if their grades are slightly lower than required. Dr Jo Saxton stated that universities were keen to enrol UK undergraduates due to increased uncertainty surrounding international student admissions.

She explained that universities would quite possibly accept domestic students who did not meet the terms of their offers, noting that domestic students would provide "stability" for "financial planning". The forecast is that thousands of students will receive their A-level, T-level, Btec, and other level-three results next week.

Dr Saxton described it as a "really, really good year to be a British-domiciled 18-year-old student who wants to attend one of our world-class universities."

"I would expect a record number of 18-year-olds would wake up with an offer, and perhaps even where they are near-misses," she said.

She added that universities are "recognising, actually, that a three-year undergraduate student is stable for your teaching and learning, as well as your financial planning."

According to Vivienne Stern, the chief executive of Universities UK, universities were "definitely competitive" with one another, meaning applicants had "lots of choices." Ucas has reported that universities have made more offers this year, which "typically translates into more acceptances." As a result, Dr Saxton expects there to be "slightly fewer" places in Clearing, as more places will have been taken up by students who have already accepted offers. Students can use Ucas's Clearing system to search for university courses with open places.

A Press Association review of 129 universities revealed that more than 22,600 courses had advertised vacancies for undergraduate students from England this week. Over 3,600 courses were offered at 17 of the selective Russell Group universities.

Nick Hillman, the director of the Higher Education Policy Institute, said that Year 13 students were "well-positioned" to study wherever they wanted. He explained that "universities are always keen to fill their courses, and they will be struggling to recruit good potential students."

This year, students from England and Wales will pay higher tuition fees, following calls from the sector for financial assistance. For the 2025-26 academic year, tuition fees have increased from £9,250 to £9,535. This is the first time they have risen in England since 2017, and it follows announcements from universities that their real-terms value had decreased.

To make up for frozen domestic charges, universities have become more dependent on higher fees from international students in recent years, but the number of overseas students coming to the UK has decreased. The Office for Students in England warned in May that more than four out of ten universities are expected to be in a financial deficit by this summer.

Maintenance loans have also increased this year, allowing students to borrow more to help with day-to-day living expenses. The maximum maintenance loan for students from England living away from their parents outside of London has increased to £10,544 a year, up from £10,227.

The number of 18-year-olds from the UK applying to university had risen to 328,390 last month, according to Ucas. However, because the total number of 18-year-olds in the UK has also increased, those applicants make up a marginally smaller share of the overall 18-year-old population than last year (41.2%).

Next week, students in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland will be awarded their A-level and other level-three assessment results. In Scotland last year, the number of students achieving an A, B, or C grade at both Higher and Advanced Higher rose, as did those at National 5. The Scottish Qualifications Authority also reported a decrease in the attainment gap between candidates from the most and least deprived areas.