The number of students taking Law as an A-level this year jumped to a new record  – with girls far more likely than boys to study the subject.

Figures published by the Joint Council for Qualifications today state that 16,526 students took law across the UK this year. Some 10,737 were female and 5,789 male.

This is a sharp rise on 2025, when there were 14,973 entries for a Law A-level.

Provisional analysis by Cambridge OCR in June found that law A-level entries had increased by more than 11% this year – making it the second highest-rising subject,  behind only political studies. Drama, English literature and music had the biggest proportionate decreases in students choosing them.

Of the students who sat  Law A-level this year, 4.8% achieved a grade A* (A-levels are still graded by letter; GCSEs are by number). An A grade or better was achieved by 17% of entrants, while 40% achieved at least a B. These figures are almost unchanged from 2025.

The much higher proportion of female A-level law entrants was also recorded in 2025 and mirrors the evolution of the legal profession. According to figures published by the Solicitors Regulation Authority earlier this year, 63% of solicitors working in law firms are women.

There is no obvious reason for such a wide gender disparity at A-Level. Suggested contributory factors include the fact that more girls than boys take A-Levels overall and girls are less likely to take certain STEM subjects. Gender stereotyping – the perception that Law is a people-focused subject and therefore more appealing to girls - has also been cited.

Overall A-level entries rose 2.9% on last year to 845,485 this summer, partially explained by a 4.3% increase in the size of the 18-year-old population.

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