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That's all for our live A-level coverage, but we'll leave you with an overview of the national picture and, more importantly, a big good luck to all students on their next steps.

Here's what we learned today.

First choices: Some 376,470 students were accepted at their first choice university, a 4% increase on last year.

Top grades up: More than a quarter (27.8%) of entries were awarded an A or A* grade - up from 27.2% in 2023.

The proportion of entries achieving an A* rose to 9.3% from 8.9% - with male students outperforming female learners for the top grades for the second year in a row.

New record: A record number of 18-year-olds from the most disadvantaged backgrounds secured a university place, 27,600, up 7% on last year and 4% on the previous high recorded in 2021, 26,650.

Most popular subjects: The top 10 most popular subjects remained the same as last year - with STEM subjects such as maths, further maths, computer science and physics seeing a rise in popularity.

Cleverest region: While pupils in London performed the best this year, the biggest improvements have been seen in the North of England.

The North East and West Midlands both saw the proportion of entries achieving top grades rise by 1.9% compared with 2023 - the biggest increases reported across the UK.

Uni course popularity: The university subjects seeing the biggest increase in interest were engineering and technology, with 11% more students getting a place, followed closely by architecture, building and planning with plus 9%, and law also up 9%.

Today might feel overwhelming for students who haven't got the grades they wanted - but the advice from the University of Hull's Zoe Garrod is: don't rush, and don't panic.

She told Sky News that there are still "loads of places available" at universities across the country and pupils should take their time to ring around and even view other options to see where they might like to go.

"Everyone gets really frantic and panicky on results day that if they don't get their place sorted by lunchtime, they're not going to go to university - but there is time," Ms Garrod said.

She said it's a "really big decision" for students to decide where they want to spend the next three years of their life.

"It really is making that choice for you and what's going to be right for your situation," she said.

A-level students should choose their degree based on something they enjoy and not on future earnings potential - that's the advice from two university chiefs. 

Writing in The Telegraph, the heads of UCAS and Universities UK say the aim is for teenagers to get a place on a course that they are "passionate about".

"Clearing now offers an opportunity for students to reassess their choices once they know their results and find a course that best matches their aspirations and strengths," they tell the news outlet. 

"It also provides an opportunity to explore courses they might not have previously considered." 

Clearing is available to students who do not meet the conditions of their offer on A-level results day, as well as those who did not receive any offers.

Speaking to a webinar earlier this week, Ms Saxton acknowledged pupils were facing pressure from parents to choose a degree based on how big a salary they can earn, The Telegraph reported. 

Earlier this year, Ucas data showed there had been "continued demand" for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics courses. 

Since 2023, applications to engineering and technology courses have seen 10% growth, and applications to both mathematical sciences and computing have seen an increase of 7%, it found. 

These are degrees that are considered to have high earning potential, along with the likes of law, economics and medicine. 

One student from Grimsby is yet to open his results.

Tyrese, from Franklin Sixth Form College, said he's going to "take my time with it" and make sure he's ready.

"I'm just terrified to open it. It's a lot of pressure and there's a lot riding on this," he told North of England correspondent Charlotte Leeming.

"But as much as I do have doubts about myself, I am still very faithful."

Meanwhile, another student, Ed, has found out he has a place at the University of Durham to study maths.

He began his A-levels at the college after being home-schooled until age 18 - and is walking away with A*AAB.

Interim headteacher Wendy Ellis said she "couldn't be prouder" of her students, 98% of which passed their A-levels and 100% of which passed their vocational courses.

For those that didn't get the results they wanted, she said: "They are not defined by their grade. Today is one day in their life and sometimes their journey is a complex one, it can have some twists and turns."

Ms Ellis added: "The world is at your feet."

The head of a group representing universities says she is "reasonably confident" that providers won't need to close due to funding struggles.

Universities are currently facing a funding crisis due to a drop in student applications and restrictions that prevent international students, who pay higher fees, from bringing their partners and children with them.

Vivienne Stern, managing director of Universities UK, said the "crunch point" will come in autumn when figures will reveal the number of international postgraduate applications.

Asked if she feared some universities may close over funding issues, Ms Stern said: "I don't think that's, going to happen."

"We're all trying very, very hard to make sure that the sector is stable... I'm reasonably confident that we're going to get through the next period without anything like that happening," she said.

However, she cautioned the future was "difficult to predict".

The attainment gap between pupils from private schools and those in secondary state schools has widened, according to official figures.

Statistics released by the regulator Ofqual show 49.4% of candidates at private schools were awarded grade A or A* across all subjects - up two percentage points from 47.4% in 2023.

Meanwhile, the figure stood at 22.3% for secondary comprehensive schools - up by just 0.3 points compared with last year.

It means the gap has widened to 27.1 percentage points, with private school students more than twice as likely as state pupils to get the highest grades.

Secondary selective schools - known as grammar schools - saw the second-highest top grade performance at 41%, followed by free schools (37.1%) and academies (26.5%).

Amira Hadjer Yagoub is another pupil celebrating today after getting great A-level grades.

The St Mark's Academy student achieved an A in sociology, as well as B grades in psychology and English literature.

"I'm feeling so surprised. I never thought of myself as a student who can actually do well in A-levels," she told Sky News' Sadiya Chowdhury.

Amira said she didn't think she had the "work ethic" to achieve her grades - and thanked her teachers who pushed her to her "full potential".

There is "more work to do" to ensure students from disadvantaged backgrounds get into university, the higher education minister has said.

Baroness Smith sent "massive congratulations" to the pupils who secured their first choice after today's results.

But she said it is "still the case that too often, your ability to get to university... is determined by your background".

"That's why we know that there's more work to do," she told Sky News.

Providers have a responsibility to provide support for disadvantaged students when they reach university, Baroness Smith said, adding that many take this "very seriously".

"We have said that we don't think the student finance system is working as effectively as it should be doing, either for students or for universities, particularly given the cost of living pressures," she added.

"That's something that we are committed [to looking at]. We've already started thinking about it, and we will come forward with proposals around that."

Readers have been sending in their success stories to Sky News this morning.

Here are the happy faces of three students who got the grades they wanted.

Honey Bo Carr, from Ashville College, Harrogate, has achieved a Distinction* in performing arts, an A in business, and an A in English literature.

Lewis Jones, 18, from Ellesmere Port Catholic high in Ellesmere Port, is off to study sports and exercise science at Liverpool John Moores University after achieving BCB in biology, psychology and PE.

Christian Stoodley-Wilks, from St Philip Howard Catholic School in Barnham, gained an A* in RE, an A in history and a distinction in BTEC sport. He's got a place at the University of Bristol to study history.

Share your celebration pictures and stories of success or otherwise via WhatsApp  or  on the Sky News app. 

Leave your name and where you are, and we might feature you on this page.

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Sir Richard Branson, one of Britain's most successful entrepreneurs, has a supportive message for any students who were disappointed when they opened their envelopes this morning.

He famously left school with no qualifications - but later went on to found the multi-billion dollar Virgin group.

In a video message posted by his daughter Holly, Sir Richard said he used to "dread the day" his report cards would arrive, as they "rarely brought good news".

"I'm so glad my grades didn't define me, and I've learned so much more about the world, about business and about all parts of life since leaving school."