If you want to start a bachelor's degree in the UK, you apply through UCAS, the central admissions service. Postgraduate applications work differently — see our master's guide.
The UCAS timeline
- 14 October — deadline for Oxford, Cambridge and most medicine, dentistry and veterinary courses.
- 31 January — the main deadline for most other undergraduate courses.
- Clearing — after results are published, applicants without a place can apply to courses that still have vacancies.
How an application works
- Choose up to five courses and write one personal statement that covers all of them.
- Get a reference from a teacher or adviser.
- Universities reply with offers, which are usually conditional on your exam results — often expressed as grades or UCAS Tariff points.
- You choose a firm and an insurance choice, then meet the conditions.
Entry requirements
Requirements differ by course, not just by university. Some add an admissions test, an interview or a portfolio. International students apply through UCAS too, and may need a foundation year if their qualification does not meet direct entry. Always read the course page for the exact requirement and the English language level.
Look up courses using our UCAS course lookup, and note that UCAS course codes are given for undergraduate courses only.
Dates and requirements are set by UCAS and the universities; confirm them on ucas.com and the course page before you apply.