UCL Admissions Statistics: What You Need to Know

University College London (UCL) is one of the UK’s most selective universities. Competition to study at UCL is fierce, and this guide brings together the latest verified numbers with explanations of key terms like offer rate and acceptance rate to show you how competitiveness varies by course. 

Most importantly, it will explain what the data means for you and your application strategy.

Key Takeaways

• UCL receives very high volumes of applications each year but offer rates and competitiveness vary sharply by course.

• Offer rate is not the same thing as acceptance rate.

• Disciplines such as Computer Science, Law, Architecture and Statistical Science are among the most competitive.

• Meeting the entry requirements gets you into contention, but your personal statement, references, admissions tests and tasks and overall fit still matter.

UCL Admissions at a Glance

• In the 2024/25 undergraduate cycle (opens in a new tab), UCL recorded 77,828 applications and made 26,253 offers. This translates to an offer rate of 33.7% for that year. 

• UCL states it received (opens in a new tab)“nearly 91,000” (opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab)applications in 2025. (opens in a new tab) This indicates there is a rising demand for places at UCL. 

Offer Rate vs Acceptance Rate: What’s the Difference?

• The Offer rate is the number of offers divided by applications. It basically tells you what share of applicants were offered a place.

• The Acceptance rate is the number of students enrolled divided by applications. It basically tells you what proportion of applicants actually ended up at UCL.

Bear in mind that many applicants hold multiple offers and some miss conditions. This means that acceptance rates are lower than offer rates. 

Also note that some UCL publications list “places” per course, which means the number of entrants. This is not exactly the same as UCAS “acceptances” but it does give you a reasonable idea of final spots filled at programme level. 

Most Competitive Courses at UCL

Using UCL’s 2024/25 faculty (opens in a new tab)data, it is possible to identify the most competitive courses by comparing the number of applications, offers made and places available.  

1. Computer Science – 5,549 applications for 210 places making 26.4 applications per place. 

2. Law (LLB) – 4,577 applications for 205 places making 22.3 applications per place. 

3. Statistical Science – 3,713 applications for  165 places making 22.5 applications per place. 

4. Slade School of Fine Art – 1,110 applications for 50 places making 22.2 applications per place 

5. Political Science – 3,345 applications for 190 places making 17.6 applications per place. 

6. Architecture – 3,109 applications for 232 places making 13.4 applications per place. Portfolio/interview required. 

7. Psychology – 2,428 applications for 169 places making 14.4 applications per place. 

Less Competitive Programmes – What the Data Suggests

The same data (opens in a new tab) shows courses that experienced lower applications-per-place in 2024/25. This suggests that the following courses were less competitive: 

• Hebrew & Jewish Studies – 31 applications for 12 places making 2.6 applications per place. 

• Greek & Latin – 292 applications for 60 places making 4.9 applications per place. 

• Security & Crime Science – 252 applications for 60 places making 4.2 applications per /place.  

• Risk & Disaster Reduction – 349 applications for 74 places making 4.7 applications per place. 

• Sustainable Construction – 139 applications for 30 places making 4.6 applications per place. 

Trends Over Recent Years

• Applications are rising (opens in a new tab): UCL reports nearly 91,000 applications for the 2025 entry, which is up from around 78,000 in recent cycles.

• Offers and capacity fluctuate between faculties (opens in a new tab). But applications per place rose between 2022/23 and 2024/25 in areas such as Computer Science and Law) which indicates sustained oversubscription. 

Entry Requirements & Applicant Profile

As you would expect with such a competitive university, entry requirements are high. Typical offers on many UCL courses range between A*AA–AAB at A level.

Typical International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma requirements for entry are 36–40 with Higher Level HL scores of 6,6,6

This will vary from course to course, so always check the course page. 

Bear in mind that meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee an offer. High-demand courses are oversubscribed, so selection also considers personal statements, references, admissions tests/tasks, and course fit. 

What This Means for Applicants

If your predicted or achieved grades meet or exceed the typical offer, it puts you in the competitive zone. It is now time to focus on course fit, your personal statement and references. 

For highly competitive courses such as Computer Science, Law, and Statistical Science, understand that your odds of getting a place are well below the university-wide average. There are only so many places available so you must plan accordingly and build a balanced UCAS list with sensible “safety” choices. 

Look at the numbers as context. They certainly don’t mean you have no chance of getting on your chosen course. They only tell you what happened in recent years and cohorts, capacity, and test requirements shift from year to year. 

At the same time, it is sensible to adopt a flexible approach, as no place on any UCL course is guaranteed. There are so many factors that are beyond your control. It would be wise to consider related but less oversubscribed programmes.

You may know that a particular course attracts a lot of applicants, but you don’t know their academic strengths and weaknesses in relation to yours. Be sure to highlight your strengths and motivations in every part of the application, and have confidence in yourself.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is UCL’s overall acceptance rate?

There isn’t a single fixed figure each year. In 2024/25, UCL states that 33.7% of those who applied were offered a place. The UCL acceptance rate is lower and can vary widely from course and year. 

What are the hardest courses to get into at UCL?

The most competitive courses based on applications per place available in 2024/25 were Computer Science, Law, Statistical Science, Slade Fine Art, Political Science, and Architecture. 

Do you need all A*s to get into UCL?

No. Many courses ask for A*AA–AAB or their IB equivalents. However, ultra-competitive programmes often see applicants exceed the minimums, and strong performance in required tests/portfolios is also crucial. Always check the requirements of specific courses. 

Is UCL harder to get into than other Russell Group universities?

That depends on the course and the other Russell Group (opens in a new tab) university. But UCL is among the most applied-to universities in the UK, and several UCL programmes are more selective than peers. Compare course-level data and UCAS (opens in a new tab) end-of-cycle reports for a fair view. 

Final Thoughts

Gaining entry onto a UCL course is highly competitive, and many programmes are far more selective than the university-wide averages suggest. However, don’t less this talk you out of applying. Have faith in your abilities and aim to exceed the stated requirements. Prepare thoroughly for your A Levels with revision notes, past papers  and target tests. You can not control who you are up against or how many people apply for your chosen UCL course. You can, however, control how well you perform in your A Levels and Save My Exams is there to help and support you every step of the way. 

References

Russell Group (opens in a new tab)

UCAS (opens in a new tab)

UCAT (opens in a new tab)

UCL (opens in a new tab)

Save My Exams