Imperial celebrates achievements of successful applicants

Imperial looks forward to welcoming new students from the UK and overseas, following applicants' grades success.

Imperial applicants have excelled in securing their required grades this year, with an increase in successful applications across a range of categories of student.

The total number of students from the UK has increased compared to last academic year, as has the number of successful applications considered under Imperial’s contextual admissions process, intended for underrepresented students. Imperial will become home to 490 students who were considered under this process for entry into a degree programme this year.

Considering the context

As part of Imperial’s application process, every year a selection of applicants are considered under ‘contextual admissions’.  
 
Some students face additional challenges that can affect their grades. These might include, but are not limited to – experience in the care system, living in an area of high deprivation, or being in receipt of free school meals. Every student’s experience is personal to them, and Imperial has agreed that this should never be a barrier to academically successful learners joining the university community. 
 

Commenting on Imperial’s approach, and the positive results from this year’s application cycle, Lizzie Burrows, Chief Marketing and Recruitment Officer, said:  
 
"We’re proud to welcome more talented students from underrepresented backgrounds than ever before at Imperial. Our approach to contextual admissions affirms that access to higher education should be driven by potential, not personal circumstances. This year’s results show that outstanding learners can thrive at Imperial, regardless of background. 

“With Imperial having recently retained our position as the UK and Europe’s top university in the QS World University Rankings, new students can be confident that they’re joining a community that is globally recognised for the high quality of our education, research, and student services."

Supporting new students to thrive

Accepting an offer to enrol at university can be an exciting and anxious time. From the 2025-26 academic year onward, every September, as part of the ‘Imperial Thrive’ project, contextual admissions students will receive additional support to ensure that this transition goes as smoothly as possible. 

They will be offered a ‘pre-arrival residential’ experience, free-of-charge, giving them the opportunity to visit, stay on campus, and preview university life before term begins.

Thrive students may be the first in their family to go to university, attended a state school, or are from backgrounds that are typically underrepresented. They will have the chance to make connections with others from similar backgrounds, meet their tutors, and take part in a range of academic and social activities to help transition smoothly into university. They will be supported throughout their time with Imperial through regular events, insightful workshops, and tailored support from a dedicated team from the university.

Empowering students to become part of the community

The new cohort of students will arrive on campuses this autumn, and join a university committed to providing students with a range of support, including  a generous, means-tested bursary, where appropriate. 

The Imperial Bursary offers eligible undergraduate students from the UK up to £5,000/year for every year that their course lasts to help with the cost of studying in London. In the past year alone, Imperial spent £10million supporting students through this scheme. 

If a student’s household income is under £70,000 a year, they automatically qualify for some level of support, starting at £1,000/year, with eligible care leavers and estranged students getting an extra £500 and the option of earlier payments. 

The funds are provided for food, accommodation, or any other expenses, and are non-repayable and in addition to any government funding a student may receive.

Inspiring the next generation of STEM visionaries

Imperial delivers a comprehensive portfolio of outreach programmes, working with young people of all ages.

Over five decades this award-winning activity has supported the brightest young minds from backgrounds currently underrepresented at Imperial to access futures in science, technology, engineering, maths, and medicine at university and beyond. 

Closer to home, the university launched a specialist sixth-form school in north London in 2023. Imperial Maths School, a unique partnership between Imperial and the Frontier Learning Trust, sees its inaugural set of A Level results released today (14 August) for its Year 13 cohort. 

This first group of 43 students has experienced a unique and intimate learning environment for studying Maths and Further Maths at A-level, along with either Physics or Chemistry. This has resulted in students’ hard work being rewarded with 93.5% A* or A across all subjects.

Students will now be moving on to undergraduate study at a variety of universities, including Imperial, in both in the UK and abroad.  

Having officially opened the school in September of 2023, Imperial Provost, Professor Ian Walmsley, said: “These strong results are a testament to the great work of our colleagues and students at the School. The staff nurture talented young people, motivate and inspire them, and help them imagine futures they might never have thought possible.  

“On my visits to the School, I’ve seen first-hand the excitement, commitment, and mutual encouragement that spark the community. This is a place where bright minds, often from backgrounds still under-represented in higher education, are given the tools to flourish.

Professor Maggie Dallman, Associate Provost (Societal Engagement), and the academic lead in setting up the school, shared her delight at the positive outcomes for students: “We are thrilled to see such impressive results from the School’s first graduating cohort. It’s exciting to follow their next steps into higher education, and we look forward in particular to welcoming those students who have received an offer and secured a place here at Imperial, and who will remain part of the Imperial community during their undergraduate study.”