14:39 Aug 31, 2011 

In the United Kingdom, Honours Degrees (which nearly all university students obtain) are classified in four bands: First Class (I), Upper Second Class (II.1), Lower Second Class (II.2) and Third Class (III). It is obviously tempting to equate these with the four bands that exist in Spain: Matrícula de Honor, Sobresaliente, Notable and Aprobado. However, I don't think this is accurate.

On average, about 13% of UK students who complete degrees are placed in the First Class. The percentage varies; it is sometimes as high as 20% or even more. It is gradually rising.

In Spain, the very best students obtain MH in some "asignaturas", but how many obtain an overall degree result of matrícula de honor? I have not been able to find a global statistic, but it is surely very few. Indeed, an overall average of Sobresaliente is fairly rare, and I would be very surprised if as many as 20% of all graduates achieved such a result. A figure of about 10% seems more likely.

So I would say that Class I is equivalent to Sobresaliente or Matrícula de Honor, not just MH. To put it another way, a Spanish graduate with overall Sobresaliente deserves to be equated with a UK graduate with a First.