If you’ve been confused by entry requirements listed on UK university websites, then you’ve come to the right place. We know the grading system, and all this talk of A-Levels, looks and sounds like a foreign language. Have no fear – the UK Study Expert is here to simplify UK entry requirements for you.
First, what you need to know is each university has a set of entry requirements based off of American exams and GPAs, therefore, you won’t be going off of UK requirements at all! These US requirements are usually buried somewhere deep on the university’s website. In this article, we are going to go over the general requirements you need to get into UK universities for both graduate and undergraduate programs.
Graduate Degree Program Requirements
Let’s begin with the easiest requirements to break down: Graduate (Master’s) Degree requirements. You’ll be happy to find out that Graduate degrees in the UK do not need the GRE (what a sigh of relief)! UK universities will be looking at your GPA as the main entry requirement for their programs.
Generally, if you have a 3.0 and above, you’re in a really good spot for most UK universities. Of course, the higher your GPA, the better, but generally UK universities are more lenient towards GPA than their US counterparts.
Students who have a 2.5 GPA and above still have a good list of universities to choose from.
Under 2.5 is definitely doable, but the lower you go, the more of a case-by-case situation it will be when admissions is deciding on your application (work experience also comes into play, of course).
Besides GPA, certain specialty programs may ask for portfolios or entrance exams, but this is not the norm for most graduate programs. If anything extra is needed beyond a student’s GPA, it will be clearly stated on the university’s program page.
You can take the quiz on our website to see a list of your best matches based off of your GPA.
Undergraduate Degree Program Requirements
Undergraduate Degree requirements are slightly more complex, and vary depending on the university you are applying to.
The best exam to boost your UK application is the AP exam. The more AP exams with high scores you have, the better. If you are looking to study at prestigious universities such as University of Oxford, Cambridge University, Imperial College London, University College London, University of Edinburgh, etc., it is a main component for admission in a student’s application. This is due to the UK education system and A-Level qualifications. The closest equivalent to this in the US is AP exams, which is why this is a hard requirement and universities will not provide any substitutions or flexibility. The IB (International Baccalaureate) curriculum is also highly considered.
if you don’t have AP exams, there’s also plenty of other high-ranked, well-known universities that offer flexible requirements to choose from!
Since COVID and universities moving away from standardized testing, many UK universities have followed suit and have implemented a new test-flexible approach. The ‘main formula’ most universities are looking for is:
Ex. 3.0 GPA + (SAT or ACT or AP exams with a good score)
However, we have been finding that more universities are taking different combinations of exams and honours classes or dual enrollment classes in place of the ‘main formula.’
Some universities ask for less/more exams, and some universities will be fine with lower GPAs, while some will require higher GPAs. There are even a growing number of universities that have gone test optional!
Furthermore, if you have an associate’s degree, this will also be considered in place of exams at most universities, just note that your credits may not transfer.
As you can see, there are so many ways to fulfill requirements for UK universities! To make this much easier on you, we have provided this quiz on our website to compile a list of your best university matches based off of your GPA and test scores.
Foundation Programs and Extended Degrees
For undergraduate students who don’t quite meet the mark on GPA and test requirements, there is an option to do a foundation program before your undergraduate program. These are also sometimes called extended degrees. This will add an extra year prior to starting your undergraduate degree, and entry requirements are usually pretty minimal for most foundation programs – a lower GPA and test scores is more readily accepted.
To find out if a Foundation degree is the right option for you, you can read our article Should You Consider a Foundation Degree.
The UK Study Expert Search Tool and Quiz Can Help You
Lucky for you, the UK Study Expert has taken the guesswork out of figuring out what each university requires with our handy dandy search tool. Or you can find your best university by taking our free UK University Quiz Match.
