The UK has emerged as a magnet for international students, as it offers an excellent education, top-tier universities, and an invigorating study environment. If you are planning to study in the UK, here’s what you must know about the UK grading system.

Key highlights:

• What Should You Know Before Understanding the UK Education Grading System?
• About the UK Grading System
• Let’s Understand This British Grading System of the Universities Better
• Understanding the Differences Between the UK Grading System and GPA

What Should You Know Before Understanding the UK Education Grading System?

• Did you know that student enrollment in the UK soared by 273.9% between 2019 and 2023? The educational institutions that offer academically invigorating courses and Graduate Route Visa play a significant role in the UK’s popularity among the student community.
• As per the new rules, student visa applicants need to show that they have £13,347 to study in the UK. Earlier, this amount was £12,006. And those who are planning to study outside London need to hold £10,224 in their account.
• You can benefit from the Graduate Visa, which allows you to stay in the UK for up to 2 years after completing your studies to work or to explore job opportunities. If you have completed your PhD, you can stay for up to 3 years.

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Also Read: Master’s in the UK for Academic Excellence

About the UK Grading System

UK Education Grading System

The grading system is used to evaluate student’s performance for the academic year in their study programme. It is essential to assess knowledge, skills and understanding of the course. It helps students to track their progress, set academic goals and work on areas of improvement.

This grading system can vary based on country. The United Kingdom grading system follows a numerical scale based on the percentages. Britain’s grading system can slightly vary from one university to another. So, let’s understand the United Kingdom university grading system better.

• The UK Grading System

  Degree class	Percentages
  First-class honours	70%-100%
  Upper second-class honours	60%-69%
  Lower second-class honours	50%-59%
  Third-class honours	40%-49%
  Fail	0-39%

Let’s Understand This British Grading System of the Universities Better

• First-class honours: First-class represents outstanding academic scores and is earned for the overall exceptional performance of the student. Students who score 70% and above are dedicated towards their studies.
• Upper second-class honours: Students who get second-class honours on the UK grading scale. It is the second-highest classification in Britain’s grading system, and this grade suggests that students have done a commendable job in their area of specialisation.
• Lower second-class honours: Although the percentages fall between 50%-59%, the academic achievement is still considered satisfactory, and they are promoted to the next level of their academic journey.
• Third-class honours: This is the lowest classification in the British grading system university. It indicates that the student has met the minimum requirements to pass and doesn’t reflect a good academic record.

Understanding the Differences Between the UK Grading System and GPA

The US universities usually follow the GPA (Grade Point Average) as a grading system. So, for your reference, here is a quick comparison between GPA and grades at universities in the UK.

• The UK grading scale and GPA equivalent for your reference:

  UK grades	GPA
  First-class honours	4.0
  Upper second-class honours	3.3-3.9
  Lower second-class honours	2.7-3.2
  Third-class honours	2.0-1.9
  Fail	0.0

Also Read: MBA in the UK for Indian Students: A Brief Guide

Some Top Universities in the UK You Must Know

Here are the top universities in the UK as per the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings and Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings.

• QS category – QS World University Rankings 2025 (UK-specific)
• THE category – World University Rankings 2025 (UK-specific)

So, now that you know everything about the UK’s grading system, you can plan your studies abroad. Don’t let financial hurdles keep you from achieving your academic aspirations. Instead, you can opt for a student loan like a million other students.

At Avanse Financial Services, we offer education loans for study abroad courses, with several benefits such as 100% finance, quick loan sanction and more. If you have any questions, please remember that we are just a call away.