Northern Ireland students: Third got top degree grade in 2021

Northern Ireland's universities awarded top degree grades to about one third of students in 2021, a rise of about 50% since 2016/17.

The proportion of students achieving first-class degrees in 2020/21 was 33%, compared to fewer than one in four, five years ago.

The figures have been released by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

The trends in Northern Ireland echo those across the UK.

There was a significant rise in top degree grades in the two academic years affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

It is suggested by the HESA that measures introduced by universities "to take into consideration the ongoing difficulties faced by students" and changes to exams may be among the reasons for the rise.

Many students have faced significant disruption since March 2020, with many degree courses being taught entirely online until on-campus teaching resumed in September 2021.

The figures released by the HESA show that just under 3,500 students in Northern Ireland taking their first degrees were awarded first-class honours in 2020/21.

But the most common classification was still an upper second class, achieved by 5,320 students - just over half of those awarded a first degree qualification in 2020/21.

About 1,600 students received a lower second class or pass degree.

Universities are their own degree-awarding bodies, so can decide their own levels of degree grades.

The HESA statistics also show a rise in the number of students entering university in Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK in 2020/21.

The number of undergraduate students starting a full or part-time degree in Northern Ireland rose by about 12% from 12,210 in 2019/20 to 13,685 in 2020/21.

There was also a rise in the number of students starting postgraduate qualifications.

There were concerns the pandemic would lead increasing numbers of students to defer entering university, but that does not seem to have been the case.

The figures also reveal more than a quarter of Northern Irish students were studying at universities elsewhere in the UK in 2020/21.

The HESA statistics show that around 16,500 students whose home address was in Northern Ireland were in higher education in England, Scotland or Wales.

About 49,000 Northern Irish students were at Queen's University, Ulster University, St Mary's University College, Stranmillis University College or studying through the Open University.

However, separate figures recently released by the Department for the Economy show there has been a sharp fall in the number of students in further education colleges in Northern Ireland.

The HESA statistics also show universities in Northern Ireland attract significant numbers of international students from India and China.