The 25 easiest universities in the UK for students to nab a first class degree

Are you putting your heart and soul into your degree, but you’re still not getting a first? Well, the odds might just be stacked against you. There are no set rules for how many top grades each uni can hand out. You are far more likely to get a first class degree at some UK universities than others.

The absolute easiest UK uni to get a first from is the University of East London. A huge 43.69 per cent of recent grads got first. Imperial College London actually isn’t too far behind. This is rather surprising, as Imperial is a high-ranking Russell Group uni with a very academic reputation. Although the Russell Group unis are supposedly extra prestigious, four of them are among the easiest unis to get a first. Er, maybe the professors feel these students work harder and deserve it?

The proportion of students who get first class degrees has nearly doubled since 2011. Last academic year, 27.8 per cent of grads got first. Although that may sound reassuring to stressed students, experts have pointed out potential problems with grade inflation.

These stats all come from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and refer to undergrads who left uni in the 2024/2025 academic year. Although 75 per cent of undergrads at Cranfield University got firsts, only 20 students were undergrads, so it didn’t feel fair to rank it among the others.

So, here are the 25 easiest universities in the UK for students to get a first class degree:

25. Ulster University – 33.67 per cent

24. University of Portsmouth – 33.68 per cent

23. Northeastern University London – 34.29 per cent

22. University of Bath – 34.45 per cent

21. University of St Andrews – 34.49 per cent

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20. London South Bank University – 34.69 per cent

=18. Durham University – 34.99 per cent

A very atmospheric graduation day at Durham University

=18. London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) – 34.99 per cent

17. University of Manchester – 35.04 per cent

16. Richmond American University London – 35.29 per cent

15. University of Derby – 35.97 per cent

14. University of the Arts London (UAL) – 36.02 per cent

13. Kingston University – 36.12 per cent

12. University of Hertfordshire – 36.5 per cent

11. Teesside University – 36.88 per cent

10. Middlesex University – 37.12 per cent

9. University College London (UCL) – 37.2 per cent

A UCL grad surveying all she has accomplished

8. University of Northumbria – 37.5 per cent

7. University of Bradford – 37.8 per cent

=5. Wrexham University – 40.0 per cent

=5. University of the Built Environment – 40.0 per cent

4. University of Chester – 40.37 per cent

3. University of Staffordshire – 41.93 per cent

2. Imperial College London – 42.29 per cent

1. University of East London – 43.69 per cent

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