What is the offer rate for psychology?

90% of psychology applications to UK universities received an offer in the 2025 UCAS cycle, one of the higher subject-area rates.

Which universities are hardest to get into for psychology?

University of St Andrews (13%), University of Oxford (17%), London School of Economics and Political Science (23%), University of Cambridge (27%) had the lowest psychology offer rates in 2025.

What grades do you need for psychology?

The most common typical offer across the psychology courses we track is BBC. Selective universities ask for AAA or A*AA.

Is psychology easy to get into?

At most universities, yes: 89 of 110 universities made offers to at least 90% of psychology applicants. A small group of selective universities are far harder.

Psychology offer rates by university

In the 2025 UCAS cycle, 90% of psychology applications got an offer (68,120 offers from 75,975 applications). That average hides a huge spread: 13% at University of St Andrews, the most selective, against almost every applicant at 89 universities. Rates for 110 universities are below.

Data: UCAS End of Cycle 2025 and university course pages, updated November 2026. Methodology

Psychology is its own UCAS subject area (CAH04), so each university's rate covers its psychology courses, including joint honours where psychology is the main subject.

How the psychology offer rate has changed

Nationally the rate was 91% in 2019, fell to 83% in 2022, and stood at 90% in 2025. Applications went from 68,290 to 75,975 over the same period.

UK, all universities, psychology (UCAS End of Cycle, English 18-year-olds where available)
Cycle	Offer rate	Applications
2019	91%	68,290
2020	91%	69,785
2021	89%	75,175
2022	83%	83,280
2023	85%	80,970
2024	88%	77,365
2025	90%	75,975

Most selective universities for psychology

6 of the 110 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.

Psychology subject-area offer rate, UCAS 2025
University	Offer rate	Applications	Example course
University of St Andrews	13%	375	Psychology (AAB)
University of Oxford	17%	350	–
London School of Economics and Political Science	23%	330	Psychological and Behavioural Science (A*AA)
University of Cambridge	27%	245	Psychological and Behavioural Sciences
University of Edinburgh	31%	465	Psychology (AAA*)
University College London	38%	770	Psychology
University of Bath	52%	1,450	–
King's College London	57%	1,145	Psychology (A*AA)
University of Manchester	64%	2,145	Psychology (AAA)
University of Bristol	75%	1,095	Psychology (A*AA)
University of Sheffield	76%	1,620	–
Newcastle University	77%	935	Psychology (AAB)
Queen Mary University of London	79%	785	–
Loughborough University	81%	1,970	–
University of Birmingham	82%	1,855	Psychology (AAB)

Where most applicants get an offer

89 of 110 universities made offers to at least 90% of applicants, and the median university sat at 98%. Large examples include Manchester Metropolitan University (98%), Nottingham Trent University (100%), University of Liverpool (91%), University of Exeter (91%), University of Nottingham (94%) and University of York (90%). 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 psychology courses ask for

Across the 312 courses with an A-level typical offer, the most common offers are BBC (71 courses), BBB (65 courses), ABB (56 courses), AAB (54 courses). The highest offers below belong to the most selective courses.

Highest typical A-level offers; the rate is the university's subject-area rate, not the course's
Course	Typical offer	Subject-area rate
PsychologyUniversity of Edinburgh	AAA*	31%
Psychology and SociologyUniversity of Edinburgh	AAA*	31%
Psychology and LinguisticsUniversity of Edinburgh	AAA*	31%
Philosophy and PsychologyUniversity of Edinburgh	AAA	31%
Psychology and CriminologyKing's College London	A*AA	57%
PsychologyKing's College London	A*AA	57%
Psychological and Behavioural ScienceLondon School of Economics and Political Science	A*AA	23%
PsychologyUniversity of Bristol	A*AA	75%
Economics, Psychology and PhilosophyUniversity of Warwick	A*AA	87%
Philosophy and PsychologyDurham University	AAA	93%
Neuroscience and PsychologyKing's College London	AAA	89%
PsychologyRoyal Holloway, University of London	AAA	95%
Psychology, Clinical and Cognitive NeuroscienceRoyal Holloway, University of London	AAA	95%
Psychology, Clinical and Mental Health PsychologyRoyal Holloway, University of London	AAA	95%
Psychology, Social and Applied PsychologyRoyal Holloway, University of London	AAA	95%

Accreditation and subject requirements

If you want to become a chartered psychologist, check the course is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS). Most single-honours psychology degrees are, but some joint and applied courses are not.

Most psychology courses do not require a specific A-level, though some of the more selective ones ask for a science or Maths. Psychology A-level itself is rarely required.

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 98% 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 psychology 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 342 psychology 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 choices

Frequently asked questions

What is the offer rate for psychology?: 90% of psychology applications to UK universities received an offer in the 2025 UCAS cycle, one of the higher subject-area rates.
Which universities are hardest to get into for psychology?: University of St Andrews (13%), University of Oxford (17%), London School of Economics and Political Science (23%), University of Cambridge (27%) had the lowest psychology offer rates in 2025.
What grades do you need for psychology?: The most common typical offer across the psychology courses we track is BBC. Selective universities ask for AAA or A*AA.
Is psychology easy to get into?: At most universities, yes: 89 of 110 universities made offers to at least 90% of psychology applicants. A small group of selective universities are far harder.