That is one of the findings of a major new study by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE).
The report, Differences in Degree Outcomes, examines the extent to which a student’s background affects their chances of obtaining a first class or upper second degree at university.
Researchers looked at the performance of more than 130,000 students in England with three or more A levels who started full-time degrees at the age of 18 or 19 in 2007/08.
They then analysed the students’ results, looking at their A level grades from school and their eventual degree classification.
The study, the largest of its kind, found that students with better A levels do better in higher education. More than 80 per cent of those with AAB grades or above gained a first or 2:1, compared to half of those with grades of CCC or lower.
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