A record number of 18-year-olds are applying to universities this year, but experts indicated that many of them are concerned about a decline in the number of wealthy international applicants, so they are trying to fill their dorms and lecture halls with more UK students. The pandemic will also not affect the amount of students institutions accept, which will be a relief for this year's school leavers who were the first in five years to have taken both their GCSE and A-level examinations.

Experts believe that school leavers who receive their A-level results on Thursday will find it simpler than their peers in the previous two years to gain admission to the university of their choice.Experts believe that school leavers who pick up their A-level results on Thursday will find it easier than their peers did to gain admission to the university of their choice.

Universities are facing anxiety about international student numbers, particularly in postgraduate taught courses, which could lead to increased demand for UK students. The number of international students applying for visas to study in the UK fell by 15% in the past year due to rule changes by the Conservative government. Factors such as the Nigerian currency crisis could also contribute to this issue. Universities are now preparing to lose up to half their lucrative international students, potentially filling unexpected spaces in accommodation, lecture theatres, and teaching capacity.

Leading institutions that were forced to accept thousands more students than they wanted when A-level grades were inflated in 2020 are no longer being ultra-cautious about offers, because those extra students have worked their way through the system and grades are back to normal.

Mark Corver, a former director of admissions service Ucas who runs DataHE, a consultancy advising universities on admissions, said: “All the signs are there that for 18-year-olds holding offers it will be a better admissions cycle than in either 2022 or 2023.”