New analysis by Palatinate has revealed the proportion of Durham graduates receiving first class honours rose from 18% in 2009/10 to a record 43% last year. Last year, 95% of Durham graduates secured a 2:1 or above. In the past decade, there has been a consistent upwards trend in the proportion of Durham first class honours graduates equivalent to a year-on-year increase of 10%. Rates have increased in every department, with Computer Science experiencing the highest increases, where 71% of graduates received a first last year. The Office for Students calculated a UK average of firsts in 2018/19 at just 30% of graduates. In early March, Palatinate revealed that first class honours degrees had drastically increased in light of measures to mitigate the impact of the covid-19 pandemic such as online examinations. However, this new analysis indicates that this increase is part of a well-established long-term trend.