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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Politics
Ryan McDougall

Record number of 18-year-olds admitted to university in 2026 academic year

Those from deprived areas saw a 7% increase to 2,090 (David Cheskin/PA) - (PA Archive)

The number of 18-year-olds who qualified for a place at university reached a record high this year, including those from deprived areas, which reached the highest on record.

According to Ucas, the total number of students aged 18 who achieved the grades for the 2026 academic year is 17,920, up from 17,350 last year.

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