A Level results 2025: How did students at state-funded schools do compared to private schools?

• A Level results day was earlier this week, and it’s generally been a successful year for students
• There remains large gaps between the proportion of state and private school candidates getting top grades
• But this gap has shrunk since last year, especially when selective state schools are considered
• As of this year private schools have been charged VAT on fees, which many say has caused them issues

When it comes to landing that elusive A or A* grade on their A Levels, state school students across the country have done particularly well this year.

This Thursday (August 14) was A Level results day, with thousands of students across the country finally learning how they did in their exams. Both the proportion of students getting top grades and the overall pass rate rose this year, the figures showed, despite some notable differences in achievement between the regions.

New data from Ofqual – England’s qualifications regulator – has also compared the proportion of learners getting top grades or passing with at least a C based on the type of school they went to. There were also big differences to be seen here, particularly between private schools and state schools.

With a number of substantial changes underway for England’s schools, the real outcomes they have on their young peoples’ outcomes has never been more important. These include a reported exodus of pupils from private to state schools after a law change meant fees are no longer exempt from VAT as of this year, which saw many schools opt to raise them – making them prohibitively expensive for some families.

But how exactly do private and state schools compare when it comes to A Level performance? Here are some key figures from the data:

Private vs State Schools

Unlike private schools, students at state funded schools don’t have to pay fees. But there is a variety of different types, from local authority-maintained community schools, to the traditionally more independent academies. However, when students from all kinds of state schools are considered together, there was a marked difference in performance.

About one in four (25.2%) entries received a top grade. More specifically, an A* or an A. Over three quarters of all A Level entries from state school students passed with at least a C – or 76.3% total. But at independent schools, nearly half of all A Level entries managed to achieve a top grade (48.4%), nearly double the overall state school rate. About nine out of every 10 entries passed with at least a C amongst these pupils too, or 89.7%.

Despite what appear to be a significant gap, the difference between the proportion of learners earning top grades at state and private schools has actually become a little smaller than it was last year – when 48.6% of all private school entries got an A or an A*, compared to 24.7% of state school entries. This means the gap has shrunk by 0.8 percentage points, representing a very small dip in top grades for private school students, and a larger increase for those at state schools.

There was also data available on selective state schools, sometimes known as grammar schools. While comprehensive schools tend to consider most children equally for a place based on admissions criteria, many of these schools select future pupils based on how they do in their 11+ exam, meaning they are often already working at a high level when it comes to reading, writing, maths, and reasoning skills.

Of these selective state school students, 43.7% of all A Level entries earned an A or A*, while 88.2% were awarded a C or above. The gap between how many of these learners’ entries earned top grades compared to their private school counterparts has narrowed even more drastically, by 1.1 percentage points – especially notable considering that the top grade gap is only 4.8 percentage points total this year.

Regarding this year’s results overall, Ofqual chief regulator Sir Ian Bauckham said that standards had been maintained this year, “with grades determined by students' performance in exams using exam boards’ strict marking and grading processes”.

Slightly fewer A levels were taken overall this year despite an increase in the number of 18-year-olds in 2025. But he said: “This may be a sign that young people are making different choices about what types of qualification suit them, which then has an impact on A level outcomes.”

What has been happening with independent schools this year?

Recently, a Government spokesperson told us that removing the so-called “tax breaks” for private schools was expected to raise £1.8 billion a year by 2029/30. “This funding will help us recruit 6,500 new teachers and improve standards in state schools, which educate 94% of children.”

The changes, which came into effect as of January 1 this year, have had a considerable impact on private education. The Independent Schools Council says that at least 50 schools have closed so far this year. Many had been smaller ones with single-figure rolls or who provided a very specific type of specialist education, but they expected many more closures over the coming months and years.

Speaking to LBC, chief executive Julie Robinson said that while there were multiple factors at play, the VAT changes had “pushed them over the edge”, with an estimated 11,000 pupils transferring to state schools. “This is a complex thing to bring in, and it was brought in really, really quickly. [VAT on fees] only came in on 1 January and already over 50 schools are reportedly closing, so it’s made a huge difference.”

But she said many private schools were doing what they could to keep fees down, especially in the wake of a new Weatherbys Private Bank analysis which found the cost of sending a child to private school from age five to 18 could reach £377,000. “Schools will always do all they can to keep fees affordable for parents. A third of pupils at ISC schools receive some sort of fee assistance, and the amount spent on bursaries is at an all-time high. However, the Government’s decision to tax education will inevitably have an impact on cost, with a cumulative effect over several years.”

Want to find out more about how A Level results day went for students across the country this year? Here’s how many got into their first choice of university, and here were the 2025 grade boundaries for some of the most popular subjects.