Just one in twenty admissions officers say A Levels best prepare students for university

Only five per cent of admissions officers at 50 UK universities – including Cambridge, Edinburgh, Manchester and Birmingham – believe A Levels provide the best preparation for students to thrive at university, a new study has found. Instead, more than two-thirds (69 per cent) point to the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma, up from roughly one in five a decade ago.The results – which will be presented at an education conference to school leaders and policymakers on 4 March – come at a time when the debate over qualification pathways has sharpened considerably. The Department for Education announced (in October 2025) that it will cut funding to state schools that was used to cover the costs of students studying the IB Diploma Programme at precisely the moment when university admissions professionals report valuing broader preparation over narrow specialisation. Fifteen per cent of state schools which offer the IB have already returned to teaching A Levels.The research, commissioned by ACS International Schools Group, surveyed admissions officers from nearly a third of all UK universities, spanning both Russell Group research-intensive institutions and teaching-focused post-1992 universities. Officers rated four qualification systems across eleven competencies drawn from the OECD’s Learning Compass 2030 framework. On average, the IB Diploma scored 23 per cent higher than A Levels across all measures assessed and was rated the strongest option on nine of the eleven skills tested.On in-depth subject knowledge – the area most associated with A Levels – the two qualifications were rated virtually identically. But in the broader competencies that universities say will matter most in the years ahead, the gaps were stark. On citizenship and global awareness, admissions officers rated the IB Diploma well above the midpoint of the scale while A Levels fell below it. On workplace skills, A Levels scored less than half the rating given to the IB’s Career-related Programme.The findings reflect a shift in what universities want from their undergraduate applicants. When asked to rate the importance of knowledge, skills and attitudes, admissions officers ranked skills – including critical thinking, self-directed learning and the ability to work independently – as the top priority and expect this to rise further within five years.Knowledge, while still important, was rated the lowest of the three competency areas and is projected to decline, a signal that subject expertise alone is no longer regarded as sufficient. Admissions officers pointed to artificial intelligence as a key driver with universities and employers increasingly caring about what young people can do with what they know rather than what they can memorise.Admissions officers consistently linked the IB Diploma’s strength to its combination of breadth, depth and independent study. The programme’s Extended Essay – a 4,000-word independent research project – featured prominently as preparation that matches what universities now expect of undergraduates from day one. One university reported that 57 per cent of its IB entrants achieve a first-class honours degree, with 70 per cent graduating with a 2:1 or above.

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The survey also paints a picture of a higher education sector under severe strain. Eighty-six per cent (86%) of admissions officers cite visa and immigration changes as a likely negative factor for 2026–27 applications – a concern that did not feature at all in the equivalent survey a decade ago. When asked to name the single greatest external threat, almost two in five (37 per cent) pointed to immigration policy alone, double any other factor.Worries about affordability have also surged. Seventy-seven per cent (77%) now cite student debt and cost of living as a concern, more than double the 32 per cent recorded in 2016, with UCAS data showing a growing share of students choosing to live at home rather than move away to study.Nearly three-quarters (72 per cent) of admissions officers are worried about reaching their recruitment targets this year, while 57 per cent cite geopolitical instability and international relations as a concern.

Almost three in ten (29 per cent) say growing interest in alternative pathways such as apprenticeships is also putting downward pressure on applications, as more young people question whether taking on tens of thousands of pounds in student debt is worth it when other routes to a successful career exist.Perhaps most striking was the sector’s candour about artificial intelligence. At the time of the study, not a single admissions officer described their own institution as “extremely well prepared” to handle AI in higher education, and more than a third rated students as poorly equipped to deal with its opportunities and challenges.Mark Wilson, Head of School at ACS Egham - one of three ACS International Schools in Greater London that deliver the IB curriculum - said the results should prompt schools to question whether their curriculum is fit for purpose. “Universities are telling us clearly that they want students who can think and not just regurgitate facts for a test. The survey shows knowledge declining in importance while skills and attitudes rise. This reflects a fundamental shift in what success looks like, and schools need to respond.“We should be asking ourselves whether we are still chipping students down to fit a narrow ideal, or whether we are helping them carve out their own path. IB students arrive knowing what university study demands: independent research, managing competing deadlines and thinking across disciplines. In a sector where every dropout represents fee income that cannot be replaced, completion matters. Universities know this, which is why they value students who arrive ready and prepared.”Dr Robert Harrison, Director of Education at ACS International Schools, added: “Parents trust that the education system is designed to give their children the best possible start. This research tells us that universities overwhelmingly prefer students educated through the IB. Surely the perspectives of the people most informed about what it takes to succeed in university should inform public debates about access, funding, and curriculum reform in the UK.”

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Key survey data

Qualification preference: IB Diploma 69% | IB Career-related Programme 12% | A Levels 5% | Rate equally 5% | Don’t know 8%Competency importance (rated out of 5, current → projected in five years): Skills 4.49 → 4.55 | Attitudes 4.17 → 4.31 | Knowledge 3.66 → 3.41IB Diploma vs A Levels (selected competencies, rated out of 5): Subject knowledge: IB 3.98, A Levels 3.97 | Citizenship: IB 4.04, A Levels 2.67 | Global awareness: IB 4.24, A Levels 3.17 | Workplace skills: A Levels 2.48, IB Career-related Programme 4.19Sector pressures: Visa/immigration concerns 86% | Affordability concerns 77% (up from 32% in 2016) | Worried about recruitment targets 72% | Geopolitical instability 57% | Interest in alternative pathways 29%AI readiness: Universities described as “extremely well prepared”: 0% | Students rated poorly prepared (1–2 on 5-point scale): 35%+Participating universities: Abertay University, Anglia Ruskin University, Aston University, Brunel University London, City St George’s (University of London), De Montfort University, Durham University, Falmouth University, Imperial College London, Keele University, King’s College London, Lancaster University, Liverpool Hope University, Liverpool John Moores University, Loughborough University, Manchester Metropolitan University, Newcastle University, Queen Mary University of London, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Royal Holloway (University of London), SOAS University of London, The London School of Economics and Political Science, The University of Law, University for the Creative Arts, University of Aberdeen, University of Bath, University of Birmingham, University of Brighton, University of Bristol, University of Cambridge, University of East Anglia, University of Edinburgh, University of Exeter, University of Gloucestershire, University of Greenwich, University of Leeds, University of Leicester, University of Manchester, University of Oxford, University of Plymouth, University of Salford, University of Southampton, University of St Andrews, University of Stirling, University of Surrey, University of Sussex, University of Warwick, University of Westminster, University of York, UWE Bristol.
The full results of this research will be presented at the IBSCA annual conference on 4 March 2026.This research was conducted online by FieldworkHub market research between October and December 2025 on behalf of ACS International Schools. The survey gathered responses from 65 university admissions officers representing 50 UK institutions – nearly a third of all UK universities. Half of the respondents were heads of admission or senior staff. Results are compared with research conducted in 2016. The survey was conducted to Market Research Society (MRS) standards.

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About ACS International Schools

Founded in 1967 to serve the needs of global and local families, ACS International Schools educate around 2,000 students, aged 2 to 18, day and boarding, from more than 100 countries. Schools in Greater London are all non-sectarian and co-educational.At the heart of the ACS approach is the idea of readiness – empowering students with the skills and knowledge to thrive in a world that is changing fast. The curriculum includes all International Baccalaureate (IB) Programmes, and top US programmes including Advanced Placement (AP) courses and the AP Capstone and International Diplomas.ACS is a registered UK charity (1179820). ACS undertakes a wide number of programmes to further its charitable aim to advance education, including partnerships with other organisations and offering financially assisted places to students who otherwise would be unable to attend ACS schools.

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