University of Birmingham revealed to be the Russell Group Uni issuing the most unconditional offers

It has been revealed that The University of Birmingham is the Russell Group University issuing the highest proportion of unconditional offers, with 18.9 per cent of offers made unconditional.

Following news that The University of Nottingham is to stop issuing unconditonal offers (they came in behind Birmingham at second place, with 11.4 per cent of offers made unconditional) due to concerns about "reported variation between predicted and actual A-level results"; UoB have stuck by their decision to continue to offer unconditional places to A-Level students.

The full list of Russell Groups and their percentage of unconditional offers

Speaking to The Birmingham Tab, a spokesperson for the uni stated "Unconditional offers form a small part of a wider and well developed admissions strategy that has a firm focus on supporting students to make the right choice for them." The university also referenced the anxieties and stresses facing A-Level students, stating the scheme is "centred on recruiting students who will benefit the most from their time with us whilst minimising the stress associated with securing a University place."

The university claimed that, contrary to The University of Nottingham's findings, “We know that students in receipt of an unconditional offer from the University of Birmingham do not experience the attainment gap seen in other parts of the sector and those students accepting an unconditional offer are among our best performing group once they join us."

Whether universities should offer unconditional places is a current hot topic, with concerns as to whether they are fair or beneficial to students who may feel pressured to accept offers which are not right for them in the long run, and leading to panicked decisions.