How to read the signposts

Mark Nye analyses the data on degree course results. Students' gender, age, mode of study, ethnicity and subject area all appear to have a influence on their class of degree. Recent figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency shed light on student performance and variations in degree class.

Men gained a higher percentage of first-class degrees (of those that are classified) with 9 per cent as opposed to women with 7 per cent. However, the highest proportions of firsts obtained were in the traditionally male-dominated subject areas of mathematical science (20 per cent) and engineering and technology (12 per cent). Women, however, are far more likely to obtain an upper second classification (59 per cent) than their male counterparts (51 per cent). At the other end of the scale men are twice as likely to be awarded a third as women.

To gain a clearer understanding of this gender achievement split, these results should be seen in conjunction with other variables.

Although the highest percentages of firsts were in mathematical science (20 per cent), humanities (65 per cent) and languages (64 per cent) become the highest achieving subject areas if upper seconds are included. The inclusion of upper seconds shows male dominated subjects of physical science and engineering and technology only achieving 51 per cent and 48 per cent.

At individual subject level, a significant disparity is apparent in the achievement of firsts and upper seconds. Seventy-six per cent of Japanese languages, literature and culture students gained these higher grades, compared with 39 per cent of accountancy students. These figures represent the extremes of achievement and the arts/science split does not show a rigid contrast of results.

More and more school leavers take up the option of a deferred entrance into higher education and others enter long after they sat their O and A levels. Are these students achieving comparable results to the standard entry students coming straight from the school exam hall? The simple response is that mature students achieve a greater percentage of firsts and upper seconds.

Students between the ages of 31 and 40 are the highest achievers in this respect, although the highest percentage of firsts was for students between 26 and 30.

The trend towards just a year or two years of deferral may not lead to academic success. The percentage of first and upper second class degree achievement (38.2 per cent) for 23-year-olds, (assuming the majority of course lengths at three years) is the lowest of all full-time first degree students. With the growth in part-time study, figures show part-time students are about as likely to achieve a first as the full-timers , but are less likely to get an upper second and more likely to achieve a third.

The contrast between the achievements of men and women is much less marked than for full-time students. The percentages of women and men (of those that were classified) gaining firsts and upper seconds were 49.1 per cent and 46.7 per cent respectively.

Women part-time students would seem to be achieving 10 per cent fewer of the two higher classifications than their full-time colleagues. One would assume that those students following a part-time mode of study are doing so for a reason, but it is less clear why such a differentiation of achievement exists.

Contrary to popular belief, home students seem to achieve better results than overseas students. Again the clear difference exists between the achievement of firsts and upper seconds, with United Kingdom domiciled students gaining 55 per cent as compared to 47 per cent for overseas students. Overseas students are more likely to get a third. The 69,858 overseas first-degree students are now a sizeable proportion of the total first degree student population of 769,497, at 9.1 per cent. Malaysia has the highest proportion of the overseas student body (14.4 per cent).

The starkest comparison of achievement is found with the ethnicity of the student. Of the UK-domiciled students whose ethnicity was known, 1.5 per cent of Pakistani and 1.4 per cent of black African students gained firsts compared with white students who gained 6.3 per cent. The reverse is true with thirds, with 17 per cent of black Africans compared with 4.7 per cent of whites. A broader view of ethnic minority achievement shows a similar picture, with Chinese students visible as the highest ethnic minority achievers in terms of the percentage of firsts and upper seconds gained, with 36.3 per cent compared with 48.3 per cent for white students.

All statistical data in this article is sourced from HESA's reference volume Students in Higher Education Institutions 1994/95 and its research datapack, Course Results in Higher Education.

Mark Nye is on the staff of HESA and writes in a personal capacity.