First class honours degree (70% and above) – A first class degree (or first), is the highest honours degree you can get.
Is a first the highest degree?
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 good is a first degree?
First-class honours (1st): this is the highest degree classification. Usually, the average overall score of 70%+
What is the best degree grade?
Degree classifications
- First-Class Honours (First or 1st) (70% and above)
- Upper Second-Class Honours (2:1, 2. i) (60-70%)
- Lower Second-Class Honours (2:2, 2. ii) (50-60%)
- Third-Class Honours (Third or 3rd) (40-50%)
How important is getting a first?
A first-class degree is a high honour awarded to students gaining over 70% in their course. It takes a lot of work to achieve but gives you greater career opportunities after graduating. The most important way you can improve your chances is to fully engage in your course.
How hard is it to get a first at uni?
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.
How hard is it to get a first from Oxford?
What does Oxford mean by a first-class or strong upper-second-class undergraduate degree with honours? 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%.
Do employers care if you get a first?
Most don’t care tbh. Exceptions might be strategy consulting firms, top barristers chambers and top tier law firms – they’re the only types of employers that come to mind who favour 1sts. Every other category of grad employer would only care if you hit the 2:1 mark (many even accept 2:2s now).
Do employers like first class degrees?
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.
How many people get a first class degree?
The proportion of students attaining a first class degree has increased every year since 2010-11, from 15.7 per cent to 37.9 per cent in 2020-21.
What are the 4 types of degrees?
There are generally four categories of college degrees: associate degree, bachelor’s degree, graduate degree, and doctorate or professional degree. Each category comes with its own particular subcategories, and there are some subtle differences between a doctorate and a professional degree.
Can you fail a masters degree?
A Masters is challenging, but you’re still unlikely to fail. For one thing, universities won’t admit students who aren’t ready and prepared for the course.
What is the highest degree to lowest?
In terms of level of study, the college degree programs in order are:
- Associate degree.
- Bachelor’s degree.
- Master’s degree.
- Doctoral degree.
Is a 2.1 from Oxford Good?
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.
Is graduating with a 2.1 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.
Which degrees are hardest to get a first in?
What are the hardest degree subjects? The hardest degree subjects are Chemistry, Medicine, Architecture, Physics, Biomedical Science, Law, Neuroscience, Fine Arts, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Economics, Education, Computer Science and Philosophy.
Does your first degree matter?
For the first five years or so, it will matter what you did as an undergraduate—GPA, leadership roles in organizations, and one’s major will be of interest to employers. Your friendships will “really matter” all your life — and those are most likely to emerge when you’ve been with people all four years.
Does a first at university 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.
How many Oxford students get firsts?
Full table showing % of classified degrees awarded by university
| Institution | % of firsts | % of firsts and 2:1s |
|---|---|---|
| University of Oxford | 33.9 | 93.8 |
| Guildhall School of Music and Drama | 36.7 | 93.3 |
| Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London | 31.6 | 92.1 |
| Courtauld Institute of Art | 33.3 | 91.7 |
Is AAA good enough for Oxford?
Offers for Oxford places are between A*A*A and AAA at A-level, depending on the course. (See course pages.) See a list of Oxford courses with conditional offers including at least one A*.
Can you get into Oxford with B’s?
Do you mean ALL Bs and Cs for GCSE, or a few? I currently have an offer for Oxford despite having two Bs at GCSE, so it’s certainly possible to get in with a few Bs. For my course they actually only looked at your top 8 GCSEs I think, so a few Bs wouldn’t even hold you back never mind kill your application.