AROUND half of school leavers were accepted on to degree courses this year with A-level grades lower than the advertised entry requirements.
Students from the poorest backgrounds were more likely to take up places with lower grades than advertised compared to all undergraduates, according to figures published by Ucas.
This may be due to "contextualised offers" - in which an institution takes into account a student's schooling and background when deciding whether to make an offer, and what grades are needed to secure the place, the admission service said.
The latest data revealed 49 per cent of 18-year-olds in England, Northern Ireland and Wales, sitting at least three A-levels, were accepted on to courses with actual exam grades that were below the requirements advertised.
The figures also showed that this year, 60 per cent of applicants from the fifth most disadvantaged backgrounds were accepted on to courses with A-level grades below the advertised requirements.
"Findings from the 2019 cycle suggest that applicants should not be deterred from applying to courses with challenging entry requirements," Ucas said.
"Universities and colleges frequently accept applicants who perform below their entry requirements. Encouragingly, this is most often experienced by disadvantaged applicants."
