UK universities see busiest clearing on record in 2025

Almost 17,000 students secured a place at university through clearing in just one day of lines being open this year, a 1.8% increase from 2024.

Clearing has become an increasingly popular pathway into higher education. 5,840 applicants applied directly through clearing this year, bypassing the main UCAS application cycle entirely.

This trend suggests a shift in how students approach university admissions, with clearing now being used as a proactive first choice strategy rather than a last resort.

Rachel Hewitt, Chief Executive of the MillionPlus group of universities, told Times Higher Education that the figures reflect strong and sustained demand for higher education.

She said: “I think with clearing, it’s demonstrating that students are coming through knowing how to make best use of the system, so I think it’s a really positive story.

“It’s definitely a part of the system that students are making best use of, and it’s going to be here to stay in the years to come as well.”

Clearing is also a vital route for mature and returning learners, and is increasingly seen as a ‘mainstream’ option due to the flexibility and choice it offers

Gary Davies, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Student Recruitment and Business Development at London Metropolitan University, added that the early rise in clearing numbers “fits a wider pattern of more applicants applying directly to clearing to switch courses or institutions based on new information when they receive their results.”

He emphasised that clearing is also a vital route for mature and returning learners, and is increasingly seen as a “mainstream” option due to the flexibility and choice it offers.

This trend is reinforced by the wide range of universities and courses available through clearing — including Russell Group institutions like Warwick. The only major exceptions remain Oxford and Cambridge, which do not participate in the clearing process.

As the higher education landscape continues to evolve, clearing is steadily shedding its outdated stigma and becoming a strategic route for thousands of students each year.