What are Entry standards, and why are they important?

There’s a lot to think about when choosing the right university for you. Our league tables are here to help. You don’t just have to look at the overall top universities, by region or by subject. You can also search by other elements that are important to you. If you're interested in the standards of students already at uni, sort the tables by Entry standards. But read on to understand the difference between Entry standards and Entry requirements.

What’s the difference between Entry requirements and Entry standards? 

Entry standards are defined as the average UCAS score of new undergraduate students entering the university. That is, the actual qualifications obtained by you in your final exams. Entry requirements are the qualifications needed to get on your chosen course within a given subject, such as ABB at A Level. However, you may be accepted onto the course with A*AAB or BBB – that is the entry standard.

Why do we use Entry standards in our league tables? 

Entry standards measures how well qualified students are to study a subject. We use this as a measure because it’s important to know the actual average Entry standard of students on the course rather than the Entry requirement, as it could be higher or could be reduced at Clearing. There is also evidence that students who study alongside more able students perform better than they would if they studied alongside less able students, so if you didn’t come top of the class you shouldn’t be put off. 

How do we calculate Entry standards?  

To calculate the Entry standards measure for our league tables, we use data from the Higher Education Statistics Authority (HESA) for 2021–22.

Each student's exam results were converted to a numerical score: UK A Levels - A*=56 - E=16, Scottish Highers A=33, and so on. These are then added up to give a score total.  Our league table compilers calculated an average for all students at the university and adjusted the results based on the subject mix at the university.

Find out more about how we calculate the rankings

Why are Entry standards important when deciding on a university?  

Entry standards are not only a measure of how good a university is at attracting the best students, but they may have an impact on your performance at that university. By being around high achievers, even if you didn’t do as well as expected in your final exams, you could gain knowledge from your peers and benefit from the bar being set slightly higher. 

Try sorting by Entry standards on one of our tables for yourself