High School Graduation Year Calculator for United Kingdom by Current Grade
Choose your current grade to calculate
UK Graduation Year Calculator (Secondary School & University)
Free graduation year calculator for UK secondary schools, sixth forms, and universities. Estimate your graduation year by grade, age, or custom start date—precisely tuned for the English education system.
How the English School System Works
The school year runs from early September to late July. 2026–27 is the current academic year.
Year groups run from 1 September to 31 August: children born in the same September–August window are in the same year group.
Ages 4–11
Primary (Reception – Year 6)
Key Stage 1 and 2. Children start Reception in the September after they turn 4. KS2 SATs are taken in May of Year 6.
Ages 11–16
Secondary (Year 7 – Year 11)
Key Stage 3 and 4. GCSE exams are sat in May–June of Year 11, with results in late August.
Ages 16–18
Sixth Form / College (Year 12 – 13)
A-Levels, T-Levels or BTECs. Education or training is compulsory until 18 in England. A-Level results day is mid-August.
Ages 18–21
University
A bachelor’s degree takes 3 years in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (4 in Scotland, or with a placement year). UCAS applications are made in Year 13.
UK Graduation Year Chart by Year Group
United Kingdom Graduation Year FAQs
When does a student in Year 13 in 2026–27 finish school?
Year 13 students sit A-Levels in May–June 2027 and leave school in July 2027. Results day is in mid-August 2027, and university starts that September.
What year group is a child born in 2022?
A child born between 1 September 2021 and 31 August 2022 is in Reception in 2026–27. They sit GCSEs in 2038 and A-Levels in 2040.
How old are you when you finish GCSEs?
Students are 15 or 16 when they sit GCSEs at the end of Year 11; everyone has turned 16 by 31 August of that summer.
How old are you when you graduate from university in the UK?
Most students start university at 18 and finish a 3-year degree at 21. A 4-year Scottish degree, a sandwich year or an integrated master’s means finishing at 22.
If I start university in September 2027, when will I graduate?
A 3-year degree that starts in September 2027 finishes in June 2030, with graduation ceremonies that summer. A 4-year course finishes in 2031.