Are Degrees Getting Easier?

Your child is working hard for their GCSEs or A-Levels and you’re starting to look at university courses.

We often see a degree as a route to better career prospects but is the class of degree they’ll graduate with losing value?

According to the recent data from the Department for Education, far more students are leaving University with a first class degree. Back in 1997, about half of students gained a first or a 2.1. Last year 80% of students did so, which seems like a huge increase.

One view taken by some is that degrees are making less demands on their students. In addition, the further education sector are struggling to explain the steep increase. Figures from the higher education regulator for England found that 9 out of every ten universities had seen a significant increase in the proportion of first-class degrees awarded between 2010 and 2018.

There is a different point of view. Parents can see their children working harder. Teaching practice has also improved over recent years, perhaps because school inspections are more effective.

Parents are also investing in home tutors, which does lead to legitimate grade improvement. Such improvements can be celebrated.

They deserve their degree.