How useful is a first class degree?

First-Class Degree

Students must get a percentage above 70% to be awarded this degree, thus it is very challenging indeed. This degree is widely respected in the working world and puts you at a great advantage in job interviews, as you are more likely to be prioritised for the role.

How good is a first degree?

First-class honours (1st): this is the highest degree classification. Usually, the average overall score of 70%+

How difficult is it to get a first class degree?

To get a first-class degree at university, you'll usually need an average of around 70 percent or above overall. This average is calculated across coursework, presentations, projects and exams, so you'll need to achieve consistent good grades throughout university.

What does it mean to graduate with first class?

First-Class Honours (70% and above): a first class degree, usually referred to as a 'first' or 1st, is the highest honours degree you can achieve. Upper Second-Class Honours (60-70%): there are two levels of second class degree. An upper second class, known as a 2:1 or two-one, is the higher of the two levels.

How many people graduate with first class honours?

In 2019, almost 21% of graduating students received a first-class honours. A smaller percentage of graduates now are also achieving a lower second class honours degree, or below. In 2020, this was recorded at 25.7%, compared to 36.3% in 2014.

Is a First Class Degree really necessary? | trying2adult

Do first class honours matter?

If you want to get a job, you don't actually need to strive for a first class honours. Some companies (usually the really large ones) will demand this, but most will not. So, if you want those large companies, go for it, but don't beat yourself up over it.

What percentage of people get a 1st class degree?

Pandemic grade inflation fears as number of first-class degrees awarded to university students rises to 36% from 14% in 2010. The proportion of first-class degrees awarded to students has risen again in the most recent data, with one in three now achieving them amid worries over 'grade inflation'.

What percentage of the UK population has a first class degree?

Percentage of undergraduate degrees awarded each grade in the UK 2011-2021. In the 2020/21 academic year, 36 percent of undergraduate students obtaining their degree were awarded a degree with first-class honors, the highest possible grade for UK graduates.

Is a first class degree the same at all universities?

No, they aren't standardized like A-levels. If they were, everyone at top universities would get 1sts and noone at the lower universities would.

How do you write first class on a CV?

Do employers care about degree classification?

With some exceptions (Law springs to mind), and presuming you are not applying for a graduate scheme (where 2.1, occasionally 2.2 is the minimum standard), most employers do not care about degree classification.

Is graduating with a 21 good?

A 2.1 also puts you in a good position for employment, graduate programmes and post graduate study. For some institutions and for some employers, this is the minimum grade acceptable. Like a first class honours, the number of students achieving a 2.1 has increased significantly in the past few years.

Is a 21 from Oxford Good?

Read the advice from TARGETjobs about declaring mitigating circumstances in job applications. Employers may consider a 2:2 from Oxford a better result than a higher class degree from many other universities. See some employers' views on how they view degree results below.

What is a strong first degree?

A 'First' is the highest grade achievable for a UK undergraduate degree. This typically represents a score of 70% or more. An 'Upper second' (2:1) is the next highest band, typically representing a score of 60%-69%; in 2017/18 48% of students achieved an Upper Second nationally.

Does your degree classification matter?

University grades often matter most in jobs that are knowledge-specific, competitive, and offer a higher salary. One way to spot them is jobs requiring a 2:1 or a first in the relevant field. However, it does not mean that someone with a first-class degree will automatically get a job over someone with a 2:1.

Does getting a first make a difference?

The initial findings are simple. People with firsts are less likely to be out of work than people with lower grades. The unemployment rate after six months was 4.7% for firsts, 7.1% for 2:1s, 11% for 2:2s and 15.2% for thirds. That's a pretty serious difference.

Is a 21 good for first year?

More time is spent socialising and partying in first year, along with some work and getting assignments in on time of course! A first is obviously the best classification. A 2.1 is overall seen as still good. Most postgrad courses and higher courses or graduate job internships will ask for minimum 2.1.

Is a 21 from Cambridge good?

yeah it depends on the course... a 2:1 in Maths from Cambridge is almost certainly better than a first from anywhere else except for Oxford...

What percentage of Oxford students get a first?

While an impressive 31.7% of all Cambridge graduates left university with a first, this figure is triumphantly beaten by their bitter rivals at Oxford, where 33.2% of all graduates successfully swotted their way to a first.

Who is the most educated group in the UK?

The data shows that: in 2021, 72.1% of pupils from the Chinese ethnic group got a higher education place in the UK – the highest entry rate out of all ethnic groups. 33.3% of white pupils got a higher education place – the lowest entry rate.

How many first class degrees are awarded in the UK?

The proportion of students in England awarded first-class degrees has more than doubled in a decade, the university watchdog says. About 36% of students were awarded the top grade in 2019-20 and 38% in 2020-21, according to analysis by the Office for Students (OfS). In 2010-11, it was just under 16%.

Is 65 a good mark at university UK?

When you start at university, any mark over 50% is a great grade. Getting a mark over 50% means that you are beginning to understand the difficult work of your degree. Getting over 60% is excellent because it means you have demonstrated a deep knowledge of your subject to the marker.

Does a first-class matter?

A 2:1 or even a first-class degree is not enough to impress employers. It is certainly a great personal achievement and testament to your strong work ethic. However, as tens of thousands of graduates achieve these grades each year, it is no longer a differentiator.

Is graduating with Honours important?

Having a high honors degree can be important for job candidates in certain fields. Those include finance, management consulting, and engineering. These jobs pay well at the entry level and are quite competitive, often with more than 100 applicants for each spot.

How important is an honours degree?

Honours degrees help you develop skills you might miss out on if you only complete an undergraduate degree. From being able to analyse problems critically, come up with solutions and troubleshoot, the skills you gain lend themselves to both professional and research careers.