About 51 per cent of full-time students graduated with a 2:1 in the 2013-14 academic year, compared with 37 per cent of part-time students, according to Higher Education Student Enrolments and Qualifications Obtained at Higher Education Providers in the United Kingdom 2013/14.
Just under half (47 per cent) of all part-timers achieved a lower second or third/pass mark for their degrees, compared with less than a third (29 per cent) of full-timers. Part-time graduates were also less likely to gain a first, show the data released on 15 January.
Overall, women are more likely to get an upper second than men, the figures show. About 52 per cent of all female students scored a 2:1 in 2013-14, versus 47 per cent of all male students.