Warning over 'grade inflation' as first-class degrees double But other academics warned that more radical reform was needed. Alan Smithers, professor of education at Buckingham University, said grades had been inflated to such an extent that a "starred first" was required to mark out the most exceptional talent. Employers said that so many people were leaving university with top degrees that companies had been forced to introduce increasingly sophisticated systems to screen job applicants. Carl Gilleard, chief executive of the Association of Graduate Recruitment, said: "Over the past decade, employers have become less confident that the degree class in itself tells them what they need to know. Employers see the growth in academic success rates, coupled with the expansion of higher education, and are driven to develop sophisticated assessment tools that give them better insights into the capability and potential of candidates who apply to work for them. To some extent, it is an indication that the degree class isn't regarded now as being the most accurate measurement of what somebody has achieved. According to figures, almost 15.5 per cent of students left UK universities last summer with a first-class degree - 53,215 of those passing their course. Almost two-thirds of students - 64 per cent - gained either a first or 2:1. It represented a 14 per cent rise in the number of firsts in just one year, far outstripping the five per cent increase in the overall student population. In total, the number of firsts has increased by 45 per cent since 2007, when just 36,645 students were awarded the best degree grades. A decade ago, some 23,700 students - or nine per cent of the year group - gained a first-class honours degree. An analysis of data released by individual universities last year suggested the proportion of top degrees had soared since the 70s and 80s. The percentage of Cambridge finalists receiving firsts rose from 13 per cent in 1980 to 23 per cent in 2010. Those receiving third class degrees in the same period tumbled from 12 per cent to 3 per cent, while 2:2s fell from 42 per cent to 22 per cent. At Warwick just three per cent of candidates received firsts in 1980. By 2010 the figure was 23 per cent. At Exeter, the percentage of firsts has risen from four per cent in 1980 to 19 per cent in 2010, while at St Andrews firsts rose from seven per cent in 1980 to 20 per cent in 2010. Mike Harris, head of policy development at the Institute of Directors, said: "The increasing proportion of students being awarded top degrees can make it more difficult for employers to distinguish between the outstanding and the good. However, it is important to remember that while a degree classification can be a starting line for recruitment, it's rarely the finishing post. A degree is an indicator of calibre, not the final word - factors such as work experience and wider employability skills are often far more important to employers. David Willetts, the Universities Minister, said individual institutions were responsible for degree grades, but insisted that "the whole system of degree classification does need reform." "That is why our white paper proposes that most institutions should develop Higher Education Achievement Reports for all their undergraduates from 2012," he said. This will be a more useful measure of performance. Nicola Dandridge, chief executive of Universities UK, which represents vice-chancellors, insisted that the year-on-year rise in firsts was small, adding: "A-level performance has also improved in recent years, so it is unsurprising that degree results would also show an improvement." However, it has been clear for some time that the current degree classification system is a blunt instrument for assessing achievement, hence Universities UK's support for the ongoing trialling of the Higher Education Achievement Report.