Clearing - A Legitimate Route into Higher Education

A record 64,300 students found university places through Clearing last year, representing one in eight people accepted onto full-time university courses. Of these, more people than ever (15,000) entered higher education by applying directly through Clearing after the 30 June deadline.

The days of Clearing being the bargain basement of university admissions are now long gone. Helen Thorne, UCAS’ Director of External Relations, gives her reasons why.

• A UCAS survey last year showed that 92 per cent of students starting courses they discovered in Clearing said they were confident they’d made the right choice. Three quarters said their experience of the Clearing process was either great or good.
• Over 30,000 courses were listed as having vacancies on the UCAS website when Clearing opened last summer – from law to zoology.
• Most universities now recruit students through Clearing for some of their courses, including those with the highest entry requirements.
• Two thirds of 18 year old applicants from the UK are accepted by their first ‘firm’ choice – of the rest, just over half still get a university place; roughly half of these through their insurance choice, and half through Clearing.
• Close to half of those using Clearing will be placed by the Monday after A level results day. The system works efficiently – with no cap on numbers in the majority of HE courses in England, and a falling population of young people, universities are very keen to recruit suitably qualified students.

You can sign in to UCAS’s Undergraduate Track from 08:00 on 18 August to see if your university place has been confirmed.

The UCAS website has all the information and advice you need to find out about the Clearing process.

For advice on the full range of options after getting your results, speak to a dedicated careers adviser on the Exam Results Helpline by calling 0808 100 8000.