Information as of 18 September 2026. We work to keep it accurate, but details can change or contain errors. Always check the official websites for the latest, correct information.
UK schools and universities guide
Undergraduate applications to UK universities go through UCAS. Using September 2027 entry (applying in autumn 2026) as the example, this page covers the timeline, admissions tests and interviews, how A-Level and IB offers are written, fees and visa funds, and foundation routes for students whose school qualification is not accepted directly.
Lessons for students in the United Kingdom
12 May 2026
UCAS applications open
Students can register and start filling in their application in UCAS Hub.[1]
1 September 2026
Applications can be submitted
Work can start in May, but nothing can be sent to UCAS before this date.[7]
15 October 2026, 18:00 UK time
13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
Deadline for most other courses[1]
25 February – 1 July 2027
Extra
Applicants with no offers from their five choices, or who have declined them all, can add one choice at a time.[1]
2 July 2027
Clearing opens
The last day to add a Clearing choice is 18 October 2027.[1]
22 July 2027, 18:00
Last day to swap firm and insurance replies[1]
23 September 2027, 18:00
Final UCAS deadline for any application[1]
From 2026 entry, the personal statement is no longer one continuous essay. Applicants now answer three questions.[5]
Offers are either conditional, meaning the place is confirmed once conditions such as final grades are met, or unconditional. Unconditional offers may be based on interviews, admissions tests or predicted grades.[8]
After receiving offers, applicants choose a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice. The insurance choice normally has lower conditions than the firm one, and an applicant who firmly accepts an unconditional offer cannot hold an insurance choice.[8]
| Test | Main use | When |
|---|---|---|
| TMUA (UAT-UK) | Mathematics; also required for some economics courses | 12–16 Oct 2026 or 4–8 Jan 2027[4][9] |
| ESAT (UAT-UK) | Engineering and science | 12–16 Oct 2026 or 4–8 Jan 2027[4] |
| TARA (UAT-UK) | Academic reasoning | 12–16 Oct 2026 or 4–8 Jan 2027[4] |
| UCAT | Medicine and dentistry at consortium universities | 13 Jul – 24 Sep 2026[10][11] |
| LNAT | Law | From 1 Sep 2026; deadlines vary by university[12] |
Applying to Oxford or Cambridge
UCAT is required for the relevant medicine and dentistry courses at UCAT Consortium universities. Applicants for 2027 entry, including deferred entry in 2028, sit UCAT 2026. Testing runs from 13 July to 24 September 2026, and the booking deadline is 16 September 2026 at 15:00 UK time, with no exceptions.[10][11]
The LNAT core universities are Bristol, Durham, Nottingham, Oxford, King's College London and UCL, and other universities also use the test. For 2027 entry, registration and booking open on 1 August 2026, and testing starts on 1 September.[20][12]
The same course states A-Level requirements as three grades, such as A*AA, and IB requirements as a total score plus scores in three Higher Level subjects. For example, LSE Economics asks for A*AA with an A* in Mathematics, or 39 points with 766 at HL and 7 in Mathematics.[17]
To make comparison easier, every row is an economics course. These are course requirements, not university-wide standards.
| University (course) | A-Level | IB | Admissions test | UCAS deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oxford (Economics and Management) | A*AA incl. Maths at A or above | — (HL Maths 6 or 7 required) | TARA required | 15 Oct 2026[21][1] |
| Cambridge (Economics) | A*A*A, Maths required | 41–42 points, HL 776 | TMUA required | 15 Oct 2026[9][1] |
| Imperial (Economics, Finance and Data Science) | Minimum A*AA (A* Maths); typical A*AA or A*A*A | 39 points, HL Maths 7 and another HL 6 | TMUA required | 13 Jan 2027[16] |
| LSE (Economics) | A*AA (A* Maths); contextual A*AB | 39 points, HL 766 (Maths 7); contextual 38 | TMUA required | 13 Jan 2027[17] |
| UCL (Economics) | — | 39 points, HL total 19 (A*AA equivalent) | TMUA required (2027 cycle) | 13 Jan 2027[18][1] |
| King's College London (Economics) | A*AA | — | — | 13 Jan 2027[25][1] |
| Edinburgh (Economics) | Standard A*A*A*–A*AA; minimum ABB | Standard 40 (766) to 37 (666); minimum 34 (655) | None listed | 13 Jan 2027[23][1] |
| Manchester (Economics) | AAA incl. Maths | 36 points, HL 666 incl. Maths | — | 13 Jan 2027[24][1] |
| Warwick (Economics) | A*AA (A in Maths); AAA with high TMUA | 38 points, HL Maths 6 | TMUA optional, encouraged | 13 Jan 2027[19][1] |
| Bristol (Economics) | A*AA incl. Maths; contextual AAB | 38 points, HL total 18; contextual 34 and 17 | — | 13 Jan 2027[22][1] |
| Durham (Economics) | — | — | — | 13 Jan 2027[1] |
| St Andrews (Economics) | Standard AAA; minimum ABB | Standard 38 (666); minimum 36 (655) | None listed | 13 Jan 2027[26][1] |
A dash means the figure could not be verified on the university's official pages; it does not mean there is no requirement. "None listed" means the course page mentions no admissions test. All deadlines are 18:00 UK time. Requirements differ by course and change each year, so check each course page before applying.
Whether a student pays home fees at a university in England depends on categories based on nationality, immigration status and residence. Many categories require ordinary residence in a specified area for the three years before the course starts, and that three-year period is fixed rather than moving forward.[27]
Being "settled" means being ordinarily resident in the UK without any immigration restriction on the length of stay; this status is needed by the first day of the first academic year, not for the whole three years. A student who starts on overseas fees very rarely moves to home fees partway through the same course.[28][29]
For reference, Oxford's home fee rises to £10,050 in 2027-28.[30]
| University (course) | Overseas fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Imperial (Economics, Finance and Data Science) | £42,700 (2026-27) | 2027 entry fee not yet set[16] |
| LSE (Economics) | £41,900 a year | Same in later years; check which entry year[17] |
| Warwick (Economics) | £35,530 a year (Band 2) | 2027-28 fees not yet set; check which year[19] |
| Manchester (Economics) | £33,100 (2026/27) | 2027 entry fee not yet published[31] |
| Bristol (Economics) | £28,200 first year | Reviewed annually; check which entry year[22] |
| UCL (Economics) | — | Normally not raised during the course (cohort guarantee)[18] |
| St Andrews (Economics) | — | 2027 entry fees not yet confirmed[26] |
A dash means the figure could not be confirmed. Overseas fees for Oxford, Cambridge, King's College London, Edinburgh and Durham were not verified.
Real living costs can be higher than the visa minimum. The University of Edinburgh, for example, estimates an average of £1,546 a month for an undergraduate in 2026-27 (£13,914 over 39 weeks).[32][6]
If a student's school-leaving qualification does not give direct entry, some universities offer a one-year foundation course.
Oxford, Cambridge and most medicine, dentistry and veterinary courses close at 18:00 UK time on 15 October 2026. Most other courses close at 18:00 UK time on 13 January 2027.
Answers to the three questions total 4,000 characters including spaces, with at least 350 characters per answer. You decide how to split the rest.
For 2027 entry there are two sittings: 12–16 October 2026 and 4–8 January 2027. Oxford and Cambridge applicants must, with limited exceptions, take the October sitting.
It gives the scores required in three Higher Level subjects, one by one. Some universities give an HL total such as 18 instead, and the same total can hide different conditions.
For the economics courses we could confirm, fees range from £28,200 in the first year at Bristol to £42,700 at Imperial (2026-27). Several universities have not yet set 2027 entry fees, so check each one.
Living costs of £1,529 a month in London or £1,171 a month elsewhere, for up to 9 months, plus one year's course fees. The money must be held for at least 28 days in a row.
Planning to apply to UK universities and schools? Talk to Nansu Juku.
Tell us your year group, your subjects and grades, and where you want to study. We help you plan the scores, subjects and application steps. Consultations for families considering our courses are free.
Checked against each source on 2026-09-17. Entry requirements, deadlines and fees change every year, so always confirm with the official pages for the year you apply.
