First Year Grades: Do They Actually Count Towards Your Degree? (2026/27)

The biggest myth in university history

"First year doesn't count! You just need 40%!"

You'll hear it in every students' union in the UK. It's the justification for skipping that 9am lecture.

And technically? At most universities it's true. But not at all of them, and even where it is, first-year marks still matter in ways that cost real money if you ignore them.

Want to see how much each year really counts? Try our degree classification calculator: enter your marks, choose your weighting and see your projected class.

How first year is usually treated

At most UK universities, first year is a qualifying year:

1. You need to pass it (usually a 40% average and enough credits) to progress to second year.
2. The mark itself, whether 41% or 81%, does not feed into your final classification.

Your class is then worked out from Years 2 and 3 (plus Year 4 on an integrated master's). Here's how that looks under the common weightings:

What named universities actually say

• Leeds: the classification average uses "the 1:2 weighting of grades between programme years 2 and 3", so first year counts for nothing in the class (Leeds).
• York: degrees are classified on "a weighted average of all marks obtained in modules in the final two years of study" (York).
• UCL: first year does count on many programmes. Year means are weighted, for example Year 1: 1, Year 2: 3, Year 3: 5, with the best 90 credits of Year 1 counting (UCL Academic Manual). That works out at roughly 11% of your final mark.

Rules also differ for integrated master's degrees, placement years and professionally accredited courses, so check your own programme handbook.

Worked example: what 11% looks like

Take two UCL-style students on a 1:3:5 scheme with identical second and third years (Year 2 = 65, Year 3 = 68):

Under a 0% first-year scheme the two would finish level on the same marks. Under 1:3:5, first year alone is worth nearly three percentage points.

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Why first year matters even when it counts for 0%

1. Internship and placement applications

If you want a competitive graduate job, a summer internship after second year or a placement year makes a big difference. Many of those applications open early in your second year, before you have any second-year marks.

So the grades on your application are your first-year results. Many employers ask for a predicted or current 2:1, so a strong first year keeps those doors open.

2. Study abroad and placement allocation

Study abroad places at popular partner universities are often allocated competitively, and first-year marks are one of the few objective measures available. Check your university's study abroad pages for the exact criteria. If there's a minimum average, it's usually based on first-year marks.

3. The knowledge pyramid

Modules build on each other:

• Year 1: Introduction to Macroeconomics
• Year 2: Intermediate Macroeconomics
• Year 3: Advanced Macroeconomic Theory

Coast through Year 1 and you'll spend Year 2 learning two years' worth of material at once, in the year that does count.

4. Habits

First year is where you learn how to be a university student: referencing in your department's style, structuring an argument, revising for exams that aren't like A levels. It's much easier to build those habits when the marks are low-stakes than to start in second year.

5. Resits are expensive

"I just need 40%" sounds safe, until a bad day gives you a 38.

If you fail a first-year module:

1. Resits usually happen over the summer, which can clash with summer jobs and plans.
2. Capped marks: the resit mark is normally capped at the pass mark. York, for example, used "the best-attempt mark, capped at the pass mark" for awards involving resits.
3. Repeating: if you still don't pass, you may have to repeat modules or the year. In England the tuition fee cap for 2026/27 is £9,790 a year, before another year of rent.

Our university resits guide explains how resits work if you're already in that position.

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The strategy: aim for a safe 2:1

You don't need 90% in first year. Aim for a solid 2:1 (60–69%). It:

• keeps internships, placements and study abroad open
• means you actually understand the foundations for Year 2
• gives you a buffer above the 40% pass mark
• counts directly if you're at a university like UCL that weights first year

Next step: read our step-by-step guide on how to calculate your degree classification, or jump straight to the degree classification calculator to see what you'll need in Years 2 and 3.

And since the knowledge pyramid starts now, make sure you've actually got your core texts without paying full price: check your reading list, read the cheapest way to buy university textbooks, or browse second-hand copies from other students.