UK University Tiers
UK universities aren't equally hard to get into. We've grouped all of them into five tiers based on entry requirements, so you can see exactly where your grades put you — and build your 5 UCAS choices around it.
Trusted by 80,000+ Students Globally
Step 1: Find Your Tier
Enter your top 3 A-level grades (or your best 3 of 4) to see which tier fits your UCAS choices.
Step 2: Browse All Five Tiers
Step 1: Find Your Tier
Enter your top 3 A-level grades (or your best 3 of 4) to see which tier fits your UCAS choices.
Step 2: Browse All Five Tiers
What Student's
Say About Us
Just wanted to give you an update on my offers following the few calls we had a few months ago. I’ve received all 5 decisions for Accounting and Finance with 4 contextual offers from KCL, Warwick, QMUL and City. I also want to thank you for all of the support as I couldn’t have gotten this far without your guidance. What you’re doing with Chat University is truly amazing and I wish you all the best
Aria
"I got my first offer from Warwick!!!! Couldn’t have done it without your help with the personal statement, so thank you!!!"
Safa
I hope you are well. Just wanted to get in touch to let you know I got offers for Chemistry from UCL, KCL, QMUL, and Durham. Thank you so much for your help. I definitely wouldn’t have gotten these offers if it weren’t for you. Wishing you the best.
Malaika
Taveesha here! Hope you're doing well. I got my personal statement reviewed by you back in December for Economics, and I remember you telling me to keep you updated. Well, I got an offer from my first choice LSE last week! Thank you so much for that review session, it definitely felt reassuring before submitting my application.
Taveesha
Just wanted to give you an update on my offers following the few calls we had a few months ago. I’ve received all 5 decisions for Accounting and Finance with 4 contextual offers from KCL, Warwick, QMUL and City. I also want to thank you for all of the support as I couldn’t have gotten this far without your guidance. What you’re doing with Chat University is truly amazing and I wish you all the best
Aria
I hope you are well. Just wanted to get in touch to let you know I got offers for Chemistry from UCL, KCL, QMUL, and Durham. Thank you so much for your help. I definitely wouldn’t have gotten these offers if it weren’t for you. Wishing you the best.
Malaika
"I got my first offer from Warwick!!!! Couldn’t have done it without your help with the personal statement, so thank you!!!"
Safa
Taveesha here! Hope you're doing well. I got my personal statement reviewed by you back in December for Economics, and I remember you telling me to keep you updated. Well, I got an offer from my first choice LSE last week! Thank you so much for that review session, it definitely felt reassuring before submitting my application.
Taveesha
What Student's
Say About Us
Just wanted to give you an update on my offers following the few calls we had a few months ago. I’ve received all 5 decisions for Accounting and Finance with 4 contextual offers from KCL, Warwick, QMUL and City. I also want to thank you for all of the support as I couldn’t have gotten this far without your guidance. What you’re doing with Chat University is truly amazing and I wish you all the best
Aria
"I got my first offer from Warwick!!!! Couldn’t have done it without your help with the personal statement, so thank you!!!"
Safa
I hope you are well. Just wanted to get in touch to let you know I got offers for Chemistry from UCL, KCL, QMUL, and Durham. Thank you so much for your help. I definitely wouldn’t have gotten these offers if it weren’t for you. Wishing you the best.
Malaika
Taveesha here! Hope you're doing well. I got my personal statement reviewed by you back in December for Economics, and I remember you telling me to keep you updated. Well, I got an offer from my first choice LSE last week! Thank you so much for that review session, it definitely felt reassuring before submitting my application.
Taveesha
Just wanted to give you an update on my offers following the few calls we had a few months ago. I’ve received all 5 decisions for Accounting and Finance with 4 contextual offers from KCL, Warwick, QMUL and City. I also want to thank you for all of the support as I couldn’t have gotten this far without your guidance. What you’re doing with Chat University is truly amazing and I wish you all the best
Aria
I hope you are well. Just wanted to get in touch to let you know I got offers for Chemistry from UCL, KCL, QMUL, and Durham. Thank you so much for your help. I definitely wouldn’t have gotten these offers if it weren’t for you. Wishing you the best.
Malaika
"I got my first offer from Warwick!!!! Couldn’t have done it without your help with the personal statement, so thank you!!!"
Safa
Taveesha here! Hope you're doing well. I got my personal statement reviewed by you back in December for Economics, and I remember you telling me to keep you updated. Well, I got an offer from my first choice LSE last week! Thank you so much for that review session, it definitely felt reassuring before submitting my application.
Taveesha
Q&A
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a tier 1 university in the UK?
Tier 1 is the top bracket on this page: the five UK universities with the highest entry requirements and the strongest global rankings across the board. If you're asking whether a specific university counts as Tier 1, check it against the list below rather than the name alone — reputation and actual entry difficulty don't always line up.
What are tier 1 universities in the UK?
There are five: Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College London, LSE, and UCL. All five sit inside the world top 20 on every major ranking and reject the majority of applicants even with top grades.
What are the top tier universities in the UK?
"Top tier" usually covers more than just the five Tier 1 universities — most people mean Tier 1 and Tier 2 together, which adds Bath, Manchester, KCL, Warwick, Edinburgh, St Andrews, Durham, Nottingham, Birmingham, Bristol, Exeter, and Leeds to the list.
What is a top tier university in the UK?
No fixed definition — but the three things that consistently separate a "top tier" university from the rest are entry grades (usually AAA or higher), research output, and graduate employment outcomes. We use those same three to build the tiers on this page.
Q&A
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a tier 1 university in the UK?
Tier 1 is the top bracket on this page: the five UK universities with the highest entry requirements and the strongest global rankings across the board. If you're asking whether a specific university counts as Tier 1, check it against the list below rather than the name alone — reputation and actual entry difficulty don't always line up.
What are tier 1 universities in the UK?
There are five: Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College London, LSE, and UCL. All five sit inside the world top 20 on every major ranking and reject the majority of applicants even with top grades.
What are the top tier universities in the UK?
"Top tier" usually covers more than just the five Tier 1 universities — most people mean Tier 1 and Tier 2 together, which adds Bath, Manchester, KCL, Warwick, Edinburgh, St Andrews, Durham, Nottingham, Birmingham, Bristol, Exeter, and Leeds to the list.
What is a top tier university in the UK?
No fixed definition — but the three things that consistently separate a "top tier" university from the rest are entry grades (usually AAA or higher), research output, and graduate employment outcomes. We use those same three to build the tiers on this page.
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Community
Stay in the loop
17K followers
TikTok
Stay up to date with the latest news about UK University applications!
3k followers
Join our community on Instagram - with a dedicated account for parents!
