Overview
This briefing covers entries and attainment for STEM subjects at A level and Scottish Highers for the 2026 exam series. It also looks at the changes from 2025, as well as gendered differences in entries and attainment across STEM subjects. It includes trends back to 2022.
A Level and Scottish Highers results 2026
Who this is for
- Employers
- Policymakers
- PEIs
- Researchers
Key findings
- maths remains the most common A Level, staying above 100,000 entries for the second year running
- maths also remains the most common Higher subject
- the proportion of A Level entries for maths, further maths and physics have increased since 2024
- the proportion of A Level entries for computing and digital technology have decreased since 2024
- female students remain underrepresented in A Level maths (37%), D&T (33%), further maths (26%), physics (24%), and computing (19%).
- in Scottish Higher Application of Mathematics has seen a 50% increase – up from 4,680 to entries 7,025
- 10 of 15 Higher STEM subjects saw increases since 2024.
- female students are particularly underrepresented in Higher engineering science (13%), computing science (21%), and physics (25%)
It’s positive to see an increase in entries across most STEM subjects among girls. In particular, for both computing (+2.8%) and D&T (+3.6%), the increase overall was driven by girls. While the increases in maths (+2.9%), further maths (+6.4%) and physics (+0.4%) were lower than the overall increases in these entries, it is still a move in the right direction.
Currently women make up just 17% of the engineering and technology workforce. Addressing this gender imbalance would help the country meet its workforce needs as well as giving women a financial boost. It’s great to see positive movement, but there is still more to be done to increase the uptake of STEM subjects among girls.
— Becca Gooch, Head of Research, EngineeringUK
