LLB Degree inflation…
The tables show the universities with the largest increases and decreases in the percentage of LLB graduates awarded firsts and upper seconds. I have used the expression ‘degree inflation’ to describe this relative change but the reasons for the increase in the higher awards are not clear. Some contend that the increase truly is inflationary in that it is a result of pressures on university academics to upgrade degrees and not a reflection of better performance. The pressure is believed to come from two sources; the institutions – which are concerned with their position in league tables and from students who, as they now pay for their courses, are more likely to complain if they do not get the level of award they expect. Facing these twin demands examiners have – reluctantly, according to this view, – become more generous in their marking.
Others take a less negative view of the change and suggest that the increase in better awards is a reflection of the fact that students nowadays are more highly motivated than in the past. They know that they need a good class of degree to progress and so are prepared to work harder than previous students. Professor Roderick Floud, for example, former vice chancellor of London Met, believed the rise was due to “an average increase in intelligence in the student population, greater effort by the students and much improved teaching in our universities”.
Professor Floud’s analysis is the one preferred ( naturally ) by a number of vice-chancellors but, if correct, one wonders what has happened in terms of selection and/or teaching at London Met and the other 16 universities where the percentage of higher awards has decreased in the last 10 years.
When reading the statistics remember they are a snapshot based on the difference in LLBs awarded in 1997 and 2007 and 1987 and 2007. The level of awards in any particular year may be affected by the size of the cohort and/or because the year in question just happened to be exceptionally good or bad. The ‘inflation’ (or ‘deflation’) figure does not, therefore, necessarily identify a consistent trend but the variation between two years. For more detail click the name of the university in the left columns of each of the tables below.
Not all the universities held the information requested and a few are yet to provide it.
For information about how the statistics were compiled please read the methodology
For information about other universities select it from the ‘categories’ list on the right and then click the link “LLB awards by class- [university name]“…
To comment click here
Universities with the highest rates of inflation 1997 – 2007
| University Click name for more info |
Relative change in LLB firsts and upper seconds 1997 – 2007 |
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| Glamorgan | +107.3% | ||
| Bedfordshire | +105.1% | ||
| Manchester Met | +93.2% | ||
| Brunel | +88.2% | ||
| Leeds Met | +85.4% | ||
| Derby | +72.9% | ||
| University College London | +62.4% | ||
| City | +55.6% | ||
| Plymouth | +52.7% | ||
| Leicester | +39.4% | ||
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Universities with ‘negative inflation’ 1997 – 2007
| University Click name for more info |
Relative change in awards of LLB firsts and upper seconds 1997 – 2007 |
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| Greenwich | -51.7% | ||
| Wolverhampton* | -45.3% | ||
| Huddersfield | -31.6% | ||
| UWE | -26.4% | ||
| London Met | -25.1% | ||
| Hertfordshire | -22.4% | ||
| Westminster | -20.7% | ||
| Middlesex | -19.5% | ||
| Keele | -19.3% | ||
| Nottingham Trent* | -19.3% | ||
| Nottingham | -18.1% | ||
| Thames Valley | -14.1% | ||
| Dundee | -13.9% | ||
| Kent | -8.1% | ||
| Birkbeck | -7.9% | ||
| Coventry | -6.0% | ||
| SOAS | -4.9% | ||
| Strathclyde | -4.8% | ||
| Southampton Solent | -2.5% |
*Nottingham Trent figures relate to 1998 – 2007.
*Wolverhampton figures relate to 2003 – 2007.
Only half of the universities were able to provide data relating to 1987 and they are listed below.
Some universities were able to provided data in respect of years close to 1987; access the individual university page from the right navigation panel.
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The list 1987 – 2007
| University click name for more info |
Relative change in awards of LLB firsts and upper seconds 1987 – 2007 |
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| Exeter | +196.1% | ||
| Manchester Met | +148.1% | ||
| UEA | +131.0% | ||
| Middlesex | +129.4% | ||
| Manchester | +111.6% | ||
| Glamorgan | +109.7% | ||
| Central Lancashire | +109.3% | ||
| Newcastle | +100.8% | ||
| Essex | +98.7% | ||
| Aberystwyth | +94.2% | ||
| Coventry | +91.7% | ||
| Liverpool | +90.3% | ||
| Birmingham | +87.4% | ||
| Durham | +86.6% | ||
| Huddersfield | +82.4% | ||
| Queen Mary London | +79.1% | ||
| King’s College London | +78.3% | ||
| LSE | +71.2% | ||
| Brunel | +69.2% | ||
| SOAS | +65.8% | ||
| Strathclyde |
+60.5% |
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| Reading |
+50.0% |
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| Bristol |
+46.0% |
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| Edinburgh |
+44.2% |
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| UCL |
+42.7% |
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| Leicester |
+42.5% |
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| South Bank |
+40.8% |
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| Dundee |
+33.7% |
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| Sheffield |
+33.6% |
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| Birmingham City |
+33.0% |
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| Oxford |
+30.4% |
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| Warwick |
+24.9% |
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| Nottingham |
+0.4% |
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| London Met |
-22.3% |
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When I was a student in hte early 80’s we were told that none of us would get a first and maybe 4 or 5 of us would get 2:1s. For most of us a ‘good 2:2″ was our ambition.
And that is what I got.
I graduated last year and I can tell you that although I got a 2:1 it was definitely hard work. But I do think course work is easier than examinations and that might be why more students get good degrees. To everyone who is waiting for their results best of luck!
From a recruitment point of view I don’t think the class of degree which a student gets has the same importance as it used to. When there were fewer students getting the top degrees they were a way of sifting applications. Now that more than 50% of students have firsts and 2:1s recruiters have to look further at the application to sort out the best applicants. Time consuming but more reliable than the qualification.
Information of this nature is of extremely limited value without clear evidence as to the reasons for the increases.
I remember when I left school in 1978, a good Comprehensive, three students out of about 120 went to University. How times have changed.
I can see that what Rob says makes sense.
I would also say that when I did my GDL exams 2 weeks ago, the whole course seemed to be geared to simply passing the exam and no more.
I was really surprised that the best universities seem to have the most students getting 1sts and 2.1s. I thought their exams would be the hardest ones to pass so it made me wonder if their teaching is so great everyone does well, or whether it’s about how they are assessed. A colleague at work, herself a UCL graduate, suggested it may be more about students being spoon-fed everything.
I think the reason why we have seen grade inflation is the online availability at many universities of past exam papers such that they have assumed great importance in the student’s revision. If one is shrewd, it is entirely possible to predict (with approx. 75% certainty) the questions. The marking of the papers, in my view, has not changed. It is simply that students are better prepared to answer the given questions. In reality, this is probably because hard-working academics do not have the time to come up with new and unique questions for every single examination. To some extent, there is no problem with this approach. If one is a good student, you will do in-depth research on the bits that you will answer questions on in the exam. The danger is when students know what questions come up and then they do the minimal amount. Looking forward to hearing your response, Norman.
[...] of complexity. Whether we like it or not, we are not comparing like with like. When Norman Baird at qed law produces a table showing that most law schools are awarding substantially more First and [...]
Degree classification and grade ‘inflation’ « hEaD space said this on 16 October 2008 at 10:22 pm |