Three in each 10 college students award high grades

Top diploma grades are awarded to about three in each 10 college students at Northern Ireland’s universities, new figures present.

The proportion of scholars attaining first-class levels in Northern Ireland in 2022-23 was 29% – a slight fall from the earlier 12 months – figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) present

Across the UK as a complete, the variety of high levels awarded is about 50% greater than a decade in the past.

Statistics additionally present that the variety of worldwide college students in Northern Ireland has elevated in recent times.

Universities award undergraduate levels in 4 broad outcomes classifications – top notch honours, higher second class (2:1), decrease second class (2:2), and third class or move.

Universities are their very own degree-awarding our bodies, so resolve grades primarily based on issues similar to exams, coursework, theses or sensible work from college students.

Anna Jonak from Portadown in County Armagh just lately graduated from Queen’s University Belfast with a first-class diploma in psychology.

She began her diploma in 2020 on the top of the coronavirus pandemic and stated the transition from each day in-person lessons to completely distant studying was actually difficult.

“Time management was really hard, from being in a classroom where the teacher goes through everything with you, to sitting at home and having everything online – I didn’t think I would do well,” she advised BBC News NI.

Anna sat all her exams remotely aside from her last 12 months.

“We initially had 24 hours to answer a question and it was all open-book, then for final year we were brought back in-person and under time constraints so that was really hard,” she stated.

“When I found out I got a first I was so shocked, I was walking around for ages thinking ‘did that really happen’.

“The complete 12 months I used to be actually doubting myself as my marks have been at all times straddling a 2:1 or first.”

“I do not assume firsts are simply handed out.

“Yes, our initial exams were remote and open-book but that was taken into consideration during the marking.”

The HESA figures additionally recommend that there have been round 16,000 college students from throughout the remainder of the world learning in Northern Ireland in 2023, round 1 / 4 of all college students right here.

Previous analysis has urged that worldwide college students are price practically £1bn to Northern Ireland’s financial system.

There was a big rise in high diploma grades within the two tutorial years most affected by the coronavirus pandemic – 2020 and 2021.

In 2021, for example, greater than a 3rd of levels in Northern Ireland (34%) have been first-class.

In 2023 against this, in line with HESA, 29% of scholars in Northern Ireland have been awarded first-class levels – 2,455 college students in all.

Upper second class levels have been awarded to half of scholars, whereas about one in 5 acquired decrease second or third-class levels.

The hottest diploma programs have been in topics associated to medication, enterprise and administration and social sciences.

Higher schooling outcomes tendencies in Northern Ireland are much like these throughout the remainder of the UK, which additionally noticed a slight fall within the proportion of first-class levels awarded in 2023 in comparison with 2022.

India despatched extra college students to Northern Ireland – and the UK as a complete – in 2023 than some other abroad nation.

While most Northern Ireland college students enter greater schooling in Northern Ireland, a few quarter of Northern Ireland college students research elsewhere within the UK.