Too many first-class degrees awarded in England, regulator says

Nearly 38% of undergraduates in England were awarded a first in 2020-21, more than double the 16% awarded firsts a decade earlier. Photograph: Stuart Black/Alamy

Universities in England have been for rebuked for awarding “excessive” numbers of first-class degrees during the pandemic, with ministers and regulators accusing the sector of undermining its own reputation.

The Office for Students (OfS) published analysis claiming that more than half of first-class degrees awarded in 2021 could not be explained by “observable factors” such as prior results or social background of students.