Computer science offer rates by university
In the 2025 UCAS cycle, 83% of computer science applications got an offer (65,050 offers from 78,515 applications). That average hides a huge spread: 9% at University of Cambridge, the most selective, against almost every applicant at 83 universities. Rates for 118 universities are below.
Data: UCAS End of Cycle 2025 and university course pages, updated November 2026. Methodology
Computer science sits in the computing subject area (CAH11), which also covers software engineering, games development, cyber security and information systems.
How the computer science offer rate has changed
Nationally the rate was 83% in 2019, fell to 77% in 2022, and stood at 83% in 2025. Applications went from 50,100 to 78,515 over the same period.
| Cycle | Offer rate | Applications |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 83% | 50,100 |
| 2020 | 83% | 54,850 |
| 2021 | 81% | 60,245 |
| 2022 | 77% | 73,955 |
| 2023 | 78% | 81,565 |
| 2024 | 80% | 87,740 |
| 2025 | 83% | 78,515 |
Most selective universities for computer science
9 of the 118 universities we list made offers to fewer than half of applicants. These are the lowest rates among universities with at least 200 applications, so a single small year does not distort the list.
| University | Offer rate | Applications | Example course |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Cambridge | 9% | 995 | Computer Science |
| University of Oxford | 11% | 485 | – |
| University College London | 13% | 1,565 | Computer Science (A*A*A) |
| Imperial College London | 15% | 1,440 | Computing (A*A*A) |
| University of St Andrews | 23% | 320 | Computer Science (AABB) |
| King's College London | 34% | 1,595 | Computer Science (A*A*A) |
| University of Bath | 38% | 1,305 | Computer Science (A*A*A) |
| University of Edinburgh | 43% | 590 | Computer Science (A*A*A*) |
| Durham University | 52% | 610 | Computer Science and Mathematics (A*AA) |
| University of Warwick | 64% | 1,220 | Computer Science (A*A*A) |
| University of Bristol | 68% | 1,080 | Computer Science (A*AA) |
| University of Manchester | 69% | 1,280 | Computer Science (A*A*A) |
| Falmouth University | 69% | 480 | Computer Science |
| Queen Mary University of London | 72% | 2,005 | Computer Science (AAA) |
| University of Birmingham | 73% | 1,610 | Computer Science (A*AA) |
Where most applicants get an offer
83 of 118 universities made offers to at least 90% of applicants, and the median university sat at 95%. Large examples include Manchester Metropolitan University (95%), Aston University (94%), Birmingham City University (97%), University of Leicester (93%), University of Greenwich (100%) and Staffordshire University (99%). A high rate does not mean any grades will do: offers still come with conditions, and missing them on results day is where most applicants lose a place.
What grades computer science courses ask for
Across the 212 courses with an A-level typical offer, the most common offers are BBC (48 courses), ABB (41 courses), AAA (34 courses), BBB (29 courses). The highest offers below belong to the most selective courses.
| Course | Typical offer | Subject-area rate |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial Intelligence and Computer ScienceUniversity of Edinburgh | A*A*A* | 43% |
| Computer ScienceUniversity of Edinburgh | A*A*A* | 43% |
| ComputingImperial College London | A*A*A | 15% |
| Mathematics and Computer ScienceImperial College London | A*A*A | 23% |
| Computer Science with ManagementKing's College London | A*A*A | 34% |
| Computer ScienceKing's College London | A*A*A | 34% |
| Computer ScienceUniversity College London | A*A*A | 13% |
| Computer ScienceUniversity of Bath | A*A*A | 38% |
| Computer Science and Artificial IntelligenceUniversity of Bath | A*A*A | 38% |
| Computer Science and MathematicsUniversity of Bath | A*A*A | 82% |
| Mathematics and Computer ScienceUniversity of Bristol | A*A*A | 93% |
| Computer ScienceUniversity of Manchester | A*A*A | 69% |
| Computer ScienceUniversity of Manchester | A*A*A | 69% |
| Computer ScienceUniversity of Warwick | A*A*A | 64% |
| Computer Science with Business StudiesUniversity of Warwick | A*A*A | 64% |
Admissions tests and Maths
Most selective computer science degrees require A-level Maths, and the most competitive also want Further Maths. Cambridge, Imperial and Warwick ask for the TMUA, and Oxford uses its own maths test (the MAT).
The computing rate mixes very different courses. At a university that offers both computer science and applied computing degrees, the more theoretical course is usually harder to get into than the subject-area rate suggests.
Turning a rate into your own odds
The offer rate is the starting point, not the answer. Two things move your chances far more than the average: how your predicted grades compare with the typical offer, and how strong the rest of the field is at that university. At a university where 95% of applicants get an offer, predicted grades at or above the typical offer usually mean an offer. At a university under 30%, almost everyone applying already meets the typical offer, so predicted grades only get you into the pile; the personal statement, reference, admissions test and interview decide the rest.
A sensible computer science list has at most one or two choices from the most selective table above, two where your predictions match the typical offer and one where you are a grade or two above it. That spread is what keeps the chance of ending up with no offers low. OfferCheck tracks 241 computer science courses with a typical offer or offer-rate figure, each with its own page.
How to use these numbers
- An offer rate describes everyone who applied, not you. Compare your predicted grades with each course's typical offer first.
- Spread your five choices: one or two ambitious, two that match your predictions and one where you are comfortably above the typical offer.
- See which offer to firm once decisions arrive, and when universities send offers if you are still waiting.
See the odds for your own five choices
Add your predicted grades and courses. OfferCheck compares each one to its typical offer and offer rate, and flags the chance of ending up with no offers.
Check your 5 UCAS choicesFrequently asked questions
- What is the offer rate for computer science?
- The computing subject area had an 83% offer rate across UK universities in 2025 (78,515 applications).
- Which universities are hardest to get into for computer science?
- University of Cambridge (9%), University of Oxford (11%), University College London (13%), Imperial College London (15%) made offers to the smallest share of computing applicants in 2025.
- Do you need Further Maths for computer science?
- Only for the most selective courses. Most computer science degrees ask for A-level Maths but not Further Maths.
- Is computer science competitive?
- It depends on the university. 9 universities had a computing offer rate under 50%, while 83 made offers to at least 90% of applicants.
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