The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service said 82% of students holding conditional offers secured a place at their first-choice university as A-level, T-level and BTec National results were released across England, Wales and Northern Ireland on Thursday. That proportion matches last year, but the larger cohort means about 226,580–255,130 18-year-olds have been accepted, the highest figure on record. Total acceptances across all age groups reached roughly 439,000, up 3% from 2024. Ucas attributed the high acceptance rate to universities’ eagerness to enrol domestic undergraduates amid uncertainty over international student numbers, saying many institutions were willing to take applicants who narrowly missed their grades. Last year 27.8% of A-level entries were awarded an A or A*, the highest share outside the pandemic years, and similar grading patterns were expected this summer. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson welcomed the results as evidence that the post-pandemic exam system has ‘steadied’, but said the government is reviewing student finance and will publish plans to narrow persistent regional and socio-economic attainment gaps later this year. She confirmed there are no immediate plans to cut the 9% interest rate on English and Welsh tuition-fee loans, while pointing to a recent rise in maintenance support.