Each year, universities and colleges invest significant time and resources into supporting applicants through Clearing – with tens of thousands securing places they feel confident about.

UCAS’ 2025 Clearing research shows applicants are continuing to research their options before results day, entering Clearing with greater intent. 

Yet universities and colleges are at risk of missing key opportunities to engage. More than a third of Clearing survey respondents said they were not contacted by any university or college during the period, while more than a quarter did not see or recall any advertising.

So where are the opportunities for marketing and admissions? And which moments matter most? Here are five ways to level up their approach this Confirmation and Clearing.

1. Clearing starts well before results day

In 2025, 77,110 students were placed through Clearing – the second highest on record. The experience was positive, with 91% of respondents confident they had made the right choice.

A key insight from the research is how prepared applicants are. While enquiries peaked on results day, activity began much earlier:

• 92% had looked for information about Clearing before results day. 
• 80% had researched available places beforehand and knew which institution they wanted to contact. 
• 64% started researching the university where they were eventually placed before August and 53% before the end of June. 

While Clearing decisions can be made quickly, they are rarely random. This presents an opportunity for Clearing content – such as explainers, key dates, and transparent information about the process – to be made visible from spring onwards.

Maintaining live course availability, fresh content, and clear contact options throughout late August and into early September also enables students to act quickly and confidently when making their final decision. 

For many survey respondents, the institution where they were placed was already familiar:

• 43% contacted just one university in Clearing.
• 36% had attended an in-person open day or pre-applicant visits.
• 27% had applied there previously.

For many applicants, engagement with universities or colleges during Clearing is highly targeted and they may only contact one institution. Ensuring that Clearing pages, hotlines, and live chat channels are prominent, responsible, and well-staffed from the outset of Clearing is crucial.  

2. Five different starting points for applicants

Applicants arrive in Clearing from different routes and their needs vary. In 2025, those placed through Clearing fell into five broad groups:

• Traditional (did not meet the conditions of their firm or insurance choice): 23%.
• Decline My Place (changed their mind or did better than expected): 33%.
• Direct to Clearing: 29%.
• No offers going into results day: 14%.

Each group approached the cycle differently. Half of Decline My Place applicants had already decided to change course before results day, while Direct to Clearing applicants (the largest group) were often responding to career or life changes. Those with no offers tended to prepare early and be highly selective, prioritising quality and support.  

This shows matching timing and tone to different applicant needs is important, from practical step-by-step guidance for the traditional Clearing applicant, earlier reassurance for mind changers and applicants with no offers, ambition-based messaging for those who do better than expected, and local, flexible and career-focused content for Direct to Clearing users.

3. Practical messages cut through most clearly

For marketing and recruitment teams, one of the most telling insights relates to message recall. Applicants most remembered content that was practical, immediate and useful:

• 38% remembered messages about course availability.
• 28% remembered content showing university life.
• 23% remembered Clearing contact information.
• 19% remembered explanations of the process .

General university messaging also resonated – particularly university life, rankings and awards, location and course content. But the strongest recall was around availability, access, and next steps.  

There were also differences by tariff. Applicants placed at high‑ and medium‑tariff universities were more likely to recall rankings and awards, while those at lower‑tariff universities noticed messaging about location. 

This shows that applicants respond to a combination of Clearing-specific and broader university messaging. Universities and colleges who put course availability, clear contact information and an authentic sense of university life front and centre, are more likely to capture applicants’ attention at critical moments.

4. Prioritising fit and quality over convenience

When making their final decision, applicants are choosing an institution or course that is the right fit for them. Students continued to consider the same factors they would elsewhere in the cycle:

• 95% wanted their chosen course.
• 92% focused on staff/teaching quality.
• 86% considered chances of acceptance with their grades.
• 82% looked at graduate prospects.
• 77% considered location.

Financial considerations and student support also played an important role in shaping final decisions. 

This shows that applicants are making decisions based on course quality, teaching experience and prospects, with support acting as an important layer of reassurance, so it’s critical to make this stand out in Clearing content.

5. Nuances in behaviours between tariffs

Looking at applicant behaviour by tariff group can build a broader understanding of trends across the sector. This high-level analysis, requested by universities and colleges, helps to support sector insight. It’s not information shared with applicants, and students don’t know who is in which group. Any analysis also needs to take into account that applicants typically consider institutions across multiple tariff groups, and that there can be a range of entry requirements across courses even within one institution.

When drilled into further, the research shows those placed at higher tariff universities were more likely to hold offers before results day. They were also more likely to enter Clearing either because they were disappointed on results day or (for more than half) via Decline My Place, and to contact multiple institutions, often comparing more options more closely.

Applicants placed at lower‑tariff universities were more likely to enter Clearing directly or without an offer, focus on fewer institutions and rely on human interaction such as admissions contact and open days. Practical and financial support, including the option to live at home, were key considerations.

For those at medium‑tariff universities, behaviour overlapped both groups but these applicants were most likely to notice reassurance in messaging from previous Clearing students.