Overview
- National results published on Thursday, August 13, 2026, show A* and A grades rose to a record 28.5 percent of entries and A* alone to about 9.6 percent, with roughly 262,000 18-year-olds accepted into universities and colleges.
- The north-south divide widened to its largest gap since 2010, with London recording 32.7 percent A*/A entries while the North East and East Midlands each recorded 23.1 percent, a 9.6 percentage-point difference.
- For the second year running male students narrowly outperformed female students at the top grades, with boys achieving 28.9 percent A*/A compared with 28.0 percent for girls.
- Technical and vocational Level 3 results were strong alongside A-levels, with T-Levels and BTECs reporting high pass and distinction rates and examples such as East Sussex College noting a 91.3 percent T-Level pass rate and several cohorts with 100 percent passes.
- Political and sector reactions split on emphasis and risks: ministers urged expansion of technical routes and praised progression rates while Universities UK and UCAS warned that negative rhetoric about higher education could deter disadvantaged applicants and affect who applies to top courses.