A record number of UK 18-year-olds have been accepted into university this year, according to the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (Ucas). But the biggest increase in acceptances was for the most selective, "higher-tariff" universities – such as those in the Russell Group. Nick Hillman, chief executive of the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi), said the top institutions were "hoovering up all the crumbs" when it came to the top students, even if they had not met the grades they had been offered.
The Russell Group itself said there was "always some flexibility in admissions decisions", and that this "should not be confused with lowering standards". The Department for Education (DfE) said while universities were independent of government, it was "essential that standards are maintained and that the students they admit are likely to succeed". The number of students accepted into higher-tariff universities in 2026 was 5.5% higher than last year.
By comparison, for medium-tariff universities - where students tend to get in with fewer Ucas points than the more selective universities - acceptances increased by 3.8%. And acceptances at lower-tariff universities fell by 1.7% year-on-year. The increase at the more selective universities comes at a time when the sector has been struggling financially as a whole, and questions have been raised about the importance of degrees and the cost of going to university.
"Universities are like every other institution, they want to be bigger and better next year," said Nick Hillman, chief executive of Hepi. "If you can recruit good students, why wouldn't you?" He said universities taking on more students meant less popular courses, such as modern languages, could be kept running, keeping staff redundancies at bay. While there had been a "significant drop in international students" - who are largely postgraduates, and who pay higher fees - Hillman said universities were utilising their resources for UK undergraduates instead.
As it congratulated the 2026 cohort of new students, the Russell Group was quick to dampen down any questions that a boost in student numbers was a result of "lowering standards", and said it would "remain highly selective" It said: "While there is always some flexibility in admissions decisions, this should not be confused with lowering standards. Our universities will only admit students who show evidence of being able to succeed on the course." Five key takeaways from results day 2026 Everything you need to know about university costs 'I worked really hard and it paid off': Elation, nerves and proud parents as students get results Duncan Ivison, president and vice chancellor at The University of Manchester, said students had been working hard to get the places they wanted and deserved. "We're not cutting our standards," he said.
"We want our students not just to pass, but really flourish and do well. You can't admit students who aren't going to be able to take advantage of the opportunity that universities are offering." The university said that, for the first time, it had received more than 100,000 applications this year – an increase of 13%. A further 8,000 conversations were expected to take place through Clearing on results day alone.
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