70% graduates get 2:1s or firsts
http://tab.co.uk/2015/01/15/unis-handing-out-firsts-to-bump-themselves-up-the-league-tables/
You’re more likely to get a first than a third
Panicked finalists were cock-a-hoop today as it emerged it has never been easier to get a 2:1.
New stats show half of all students now get the coveted 2:1, and one in five get a First.
Your odds
The good news
• You have double the chance of getting a 2:1 than a 2:2
• You are four times more likely to get a First than a Third
• Half of all degrees get a 2:1
• 70% of undergrads now get a 2:1 or First
• You need not fear death, for it’s inevitable for all
The figures, released by thrill-seeking analysts at the Higher Education Statistics Authority (HESA), mean you’re more likely to lose a bet with odds of 21/1 than get a Third.
One in five graduates had to sweat less for a first class degree last year according to the official figures.
The number of students achieving for the top grade has doubled in the last decade to a record 80,000.
70 per cent of students received a 2:1, up from 63 per cent in 2009/10. Experts claimed unis bumping up grades are “undermining” students’ education.
Professor Alan Smithers, director of the Centre for Education and Employment Research at Buckingham University, said: “The rise is undermining the usefulness of the degree in being able to distinguish” between students of different abilities.
“Whereas in the past firsts were an exception now a significant proportion of students are getting them.”
He called for unis to introduce a starred first, much like an A*, to encourage “differentiation at the top”.
The number of students awarded a first last year hit 79,440, increasing by 10,000 from 2013.
While there was no gender divide for students given a first, 52 per cent of girls earned a 2:1, in comparison to 47 per cent.
The stats for 2012-13 show Imperial as the most giving for handing out firsts. Almost a third of their students worked really hard, compared 11 per cent at Aberystwyth, Bournemouth and Edinburgh Napier.
The national average for firsts that year was 17 per cent.
You’re more likely to get a first than a third
Panicked finalists were cock-a-hoop today as it emerged it has never been easier to get a 2:1.
New stats show half of all students now get the coveted 2:1, and one in five get a First.
Your odds
The good news
• You have double the chance of getting a 2:1 than a 2:2
• You are four times more likely to get a First than a Third
• Half of all degrees get a 2:1
• 70% of undergrads now get a 2:1 or First
• You need not fear death, for it’s inevitable for all
The figures, released by thrill-seeking analysts at the Higher Education Statistics Authority (HESA), mean you’re more likely to lose a bet with odds of 21/1 than get a Third.
One in five graduates had to sweat less for a first class degree last year according to the official figures.
The number of students achieving for the top grade has doubled in the last decade to a record 80,000.
70 per cent of students received a 2:1, up from 63 per cent in 2009/10. Experts claimed unis bumping up grades are “undermining” students’ education.
Professor Alan Smithers, director of the Centre for Education and Employment Research at Buckingham University, said: “The rise is undermining the usefulness of the degree in being able to distinguish” between students of different abilities.
“Whereas in the past firsts were an exception now a significant proportion of students are getting them.”
He called for unis to introduce a starred first, much like an A*, to encourage “differentiation at the top”.
The number of students awarded a first last year hit 79,440, increasing by 10,000 from 2013.
While there was no gender divide for students given a first, 52 per cent of girls earned a 2:1, in comparison to 47 per cent.
The stats for 2012-13 show Imperial as the most giving for handing out firsts. Almost a third of their students worked really hard, compared 11 per cent at Aberystwyth, Bournemouth and Edinburgh Napier.
The national average for firsts that year was 17 per cent.
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You can't say you're X times more likely to get a first than a third based on how many people have achieved those grades, that's not how it works. It depends on the individual.
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Original post by Rakas21
Had no idea so many people got a 2'1.
According to Unistats only 5% of people get a First on my course and i'm supposed to be an 'easy' uni.
According to Unistats only 5% of people get a First on my course and i'm supposed to be an 'easy' uni.
You can see that the top universities tend to give out a lot more firsts.
But you also need to realise that people who attend top universities have the top scores in the country, so universities with a lower intake are not supposed to have the same amount of firsts or good degrees.
Original post by james1211
You can't say you're X times more likely to get a first than a third based on how many people have achieved those grades, that's not how it works. It depends on the individual.
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Original post by Das Auto
Those odds are ridiculous. Its entirely down to the individual on how likely they are to obtain a certain degree classification.
It's The Tab, I think it's a joke.
Original post by clh_hilary
You can see that the top universities tend to give out a lot more firsts.
But you also need to realise that people who attend top universities have the top scores in the country, so universities with a lower intake are not supposed to have the same amount of firsts or good degrees.
But you also need to realise that people who attend top universities have the top scores in the country, so universities with a lower intake are not supposed to have the same amount of firsts or good degrees.
That's true although there are certainly universities on that list that are not several times better.
Original post by Rakas21
That's true although there are certainly universities on that list that are not several times better.
Well, there will obviously be exceptions, and you can also see Cambridge ranking quite low. But in general, the better universities give out more firsts.
Original post by clh_hilary
It's The Tab, I think it's a joke.
Then why have you posted it in Educational Debate?
Original post by Das Auto
Then why have you posted it in Educational Debate?
I didn't put the 'odds' in the title, now have I?
The focus is on the facts, not their conclusion. I was only posting it in full to respect the source.
Original post by james1211
You can't say you're X times more likely to get a first than a third based on how many people have achieved those grades, that's not how it works. It depends on the individual.
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Do you know what statistics are?
Original post by anonwinner
Do you know what statistics are?
Obviously, but this is a very poor use of them.
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I think it depends on the course.
"In 2006–2007 and 2010–2011, 5.8% and 8.1% of law students gained a first, respectively"
http://www.theguardian.com/education/mortarboard/2012/jan/16/first-class-degrees-concern-update
"In 2006–2007 and 2010–2011, 5.8% and 8.1% of law students gained a first, respectively"
http://www.theguardian.com/education/mortarboard/2012/jan/16/first-class-degrees-concern-update
With 47% of the population having a degree, the value of a degree is laughable. I honestly think three years work experience in your desired area of work > a degree. A degree teaches you how to quote others intelligence, nothing more.
I imagine that it it will go up again and then stay at a similar level for years to come. With the cost of studying for graduates now being x3 than what it was then I think you'll find that students will start to work harder on their degree having spent so much on them.
Original post by WeedCanKill
With 47% of the population having a degree, the value of a degree is laughable. I honestly think three years work experience in your desired area of work > a degree. A degree teaches you how to quote others intelligence, nothing more.
That's a very sweeping statement. Most of those 47% won't be able to put their degrees to good use but vocational degrees are still seen by the industry as crucial as they teach you for a career and give you work experience you'd otherwise not get before graduating.
Yes degrees do mostly teach you how to quote others intelligence, and I can't speak for others but I learn reasonably well this way.
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Original post by chazwomaq
I don't know why we don't dispense entirely with classifications at school and university.
Each students just gets a final percentage, with a confidence interval, and a rank position in the class.
Much simpler and more intuitive IMO.
Each students just gets a final percentage, with a confidence interval, and a rank position in the class.
Much simpler and more intuitive IMO.
Why would that help in anyway?
You still get a percentage anyway so you can look for that if you want to, but every person marks differently, so a 70 at London Met would not mean the same thing as 70 at Oxford. Having class honours are supposed to reflect a more coherent standards of performance. Judging from the fact that good universities usually come out of top in giving out firsts, it does seem fair.
Original post by R Dragon
I think it depends on the course.
"In 2006–2007 and 2010–2011, 5.8% and 8.1% of law students gained a first, respectively"
http://www.theguardian.com/education/mortarboard/2012/jan/16/first-class-degrees-concern-update
"In 2006–2007 and 2010–2011, 5.8% and 8.1% of law students gained a first, respectively"
http://www.theguardian.com/education/mortarboard/2012/jan/16/first-class-degrees-concern-update
...It obviously depends on the course. Every course in every university will have a different percentage. This is about the overall average.
Original post by WeedCanKill
With 47% of the population having a degree, the value of a degree is laughable. I honestly think three years work experience in your desired area of work > a degree. A degree teaches you how to quote others intelligence, nothing more.
Many jobs require a bachelor's degree if not more.
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