A-Level results 2019: A look at who’s going to university this year

A-Level results 2019
A record number of students went into Clearing after A-Level results 2019. Source: Shutterstock

A-Level results 2019 were released on August 15. It was a day where emotions ran high, as many celebrated their achievements while others questioned what was next after a not-so-great performance.

What was at stake? The next big chapter of their lives: university. To do well is to meet their conditional requirements, to do otherwise is to head into Clearing and find out what options were open to them.

So what does the data show about A-Level results 2019?

Highest ever acceptance rate for international students

As many as 33,630 non-European Union students secured places this year. Marking an increase of 6.7 percent, this is driven largely by the 32 percent jump of acceptances for applications from China, according to Times Higher Education(THE). Last year, only 32,430 international students from outside the EU  – which was a record then – were accepted, with more than 20,000 going to higher-tariff institutions.

EU students maintained their acceptance rate, with 26,440 being accepted onto courses.

Top grades fell to lowest level in 10 years for A-Level results 2019

While the overall pass rate stayed the same as last year (97.6 percent) for students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, top grades suffered badly. Only slightly more than a quarter (25.5 percent) achieved an A grade or higher, marking only a slight improvement on the lowest level recorded since 2007, when it was 25.3 percent.

Slight drop in acceptance to UK degree courses

More disadvantaged students are going to university

The A-Level results 2019 have revealed a lot for candidates to be proud of, but none more so than those from disadvantaged backgrounds. This year, a record number of them gained acceptance to universities across the UK.

“The record proportions of disadvantaged students off to university, combined with the highest number of international students we’ve seen accepted at this point, is testament to students’ hard work and the attraction of our world-class universities and colleges,” said Clare Marchant, UCAS Chief Executive.

Some of the best performances came from the London Academy of Excellence, an East London state school located in Newham. Here, 90 percent are BAME (a term used in the UK to refer to black, Asian and minority ethnic people), 70 percent have English as a second language and 40 percent are classified by the Department of Education as “disadvantaged”.

Named state sixth form of the year by The Sunday Times in 2016 , a whopping 93 percent of all grades achieved here were A* to B. Nearly two-thirds (65 percent) were A* to A and the average was A+.

Another east London state school New Vic sixth form college achieved a pass rate of 97.3 percent. “We are the engine of social mobility in Newham,” said Vice Principal, Ray Ferris.

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