The number of school leavers in the UK accepted on to degree courses has risen to a record high this year.

A total of 262,820 UK 18-year-olds have gained a place at university or college – up 3% on the same point last year, according to data published by the university admissions service.

Ucas said it is the highest number of placed students on results day on record, driven by a rising number of 18-year-olds in the population.

The overall number of students, of all ages and domiciles, being accepted has also reached a record high – with 446,690 successful applicants up from 439,180 last year.

Hundreds of thousands of students across England, Wales and Northern Ireland are receiving grades to help them decide whether to progress to university, an apprenticeship or work.

Results day comes amid a crisis in the number of young people not in education, employment or training (Neet).

The Department for Education estimates that nearly 58,000 18-year-olds in England will get no results on Thursday because they have dropped out of education and training, although some are working.

The latest data, published in May, showed the number of young people aged 16 to 24 neither working nor learning surpassed one million for the first time since 2013, reaching 1.01 million in the three months from January to March.

The Education Secretary said she is focused on a “revolution” in technical and vocational pathways to answer the “clarion call” of the Neets crisis.

In a statement ahead of results day, Lucy Powell said: “My priority is making sure every young person has the skills, knowledge, and confidence to thrive in the jobs of the future.

“That’s why we’re giving technical education the respect it deserves by rolling out new V Levels to go alongside A Levels, introducing brilliant routes into the careers of the future from age 14, and fully funding apprenticeship training for under-25s.”

For many students, receiving their exam results on Thursday will also bring confirmation of university places.

On the day before A-level results day, a sample of 131 of the UK’s largest higher education providers showed there were 22,698 courses with vacancies for undergraduate students living in England on the Ucas clearing site – which matches applicants to university places yet to be filled.

Eighteen of the 24 Russell Group universities, which represent some of the most selective UK institutions, had vacancies on courses for English residents – a total of 3,483 courses between them.