You should read the following information carefully as it will help you determine whether you meet our eligibility requirements. Also read the 'Entry requirements' and 'Assessment of your application' sections in ourprogram pagesand oursCompleting the UCAS form page.
The LSE is a highly competitive institution. The high level of competition means that achieving or expecting to achieve our usual standard offer figures is no guarantee that an offer of admission will be made. In 2021, we received about 26,000 applications for about 1,700 places. This fierce competition for places unfortunately means that we have to disappoint many applications every year.
Every application we receive is carefully assessed on an individual basis, taking into account the full range of information on the UCAS form. This includesPersonal statement, academic performance (both achieved and predicted grades), subject combinations, contextual information andUCAS reference.
Search our program pagesfor more information on programme-specific entry requirements, preferred subject combinations and desired skills and characteristics.
English language requirements can be foundhere.
We express our standard offering in terms of GCE A-levels and International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes. To view the usual standard offer and enrollment requirements for each program,see the program pagefor the program you are interested in.
We also consider a range of international qualifications. Please see our standard entry requirements for your qualificationInformation for foreign students.
The school receives many applications from highly qualified applicants, and predicted or actual grades that meet or exceed the standard offer do not guarantee an offer of admission. In addition, the published standard offers are only guidelines, and in some cases candidates are asked for ratings that deviate from them. The offers made in any given year will depend on the strength of that particular group, meaning that offers can also change from year to year. We also reserve the right to state that certain grades must be achieved for certain subjects.
For UK applicants who are eligible for home schooling, contextual information is used to provide a more complete picture of the applicant's educational and individual context. This enables our admissions selectors to assess performance and potential, whilst also taking into account the challenges the applicant may have faced in their educational or personal circumstances.
What contextual information is used?The following ten pieces of contextual information, provided by UCAS, will be brought to the attention of admissions selectors:
1. Time spent in community. This information is self-declared on the UCAS form and verified at a later stage.
2. Leaving Certificate from the school/college where the applicant sat for GCSE (or equivalent qualification). Especially when the performance of the school or college is below the national average.
3. Success from the school/college where the candidate obtained A level (or equivalent qualification). Especially when the performance of the school or college is below the national average.
4. The applicant's postcode is compared to the POLAR dataset 4. The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) estimates the likelihood of young people from different postcodes progressing into higher education. We label applicants by zip code in quintiles 1 and 2 (those 40 percent least likely to attend college). The student department has POLAR 4postal code verificationon their website.
5. The applicant's postcode is compared to the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) data set. We will mark the candidates by postal codes in quintiles 1 and 2 (40 percent of the least developed areas). The British government has thispostal code verificationfor English postcodes on their website. See this for the IMD postcode classification of Northern Irelandpostal code verification; see this for the IMD classification of Scottish postcodespostal code verification; and see this for the IMD classification of Welsh postcodespostal code verification.
6. The applicant's postcode is compared to CACI's Acorn database. CACI classifies postal codes according to a number of socio-demographic indicators. We mark candidates with postal codes in the acorn type 40 and above.
7. Participation in the intensive LSE Widening Participation (WP) program. We will highlight candidates who have completed LSE CHOICE, LSE Pathways to Law, LSE Pathways to Banking and Finance, Promoting Potential or LSE Year 11 Summer School/LSE COMPASS.
8. Participation in the Sutton Trust Pathways program at a British university. These include Pathways to Engineering, Pathways to Medicine, Pathways to Law (in person or online), Pathways to Banking and Finance (in person or online) and Pathways to Online Consulting.
9. When a student is known to have met the requirements for Free School Meals (FSM) in the last six years.
10. Other individual circumstances that could have hindered or negatively affected the candidate's education and performance, as detailed in the extenuating circumstances form.
How is contextual information used?
Candidates marked for the attention of the admissions selector will be given special consideration. The Selector may use this data in the following ways:
- give the applicant a standard offer where the applicant's academic record (eg GCSE/AS Levels or equivalent) or personal statement may be slightly less competitive than the overall pool
- provide the applicant with a standard offer where the applicant is expected to fall slightly below normal entry requirements
- when making confirmation decisions for tenderers who have slightly failed to meet the eligibility criteria (usually this means one grade below the standard eligibility conditions).
Eligible students (home postcode students classified as POLAR4 Quintile 1 or IMD Quintile 1, as care leavers or as participants in a specific LSE WP or Sutton Trust Pathways programme) may be eligible forcontextual offer, where the contextual offer is one or two digits lower than the program's standard offer. Every math requirement must be met.
All academic departments participate in the contextual offer scheme.
Contextual offer figures are listed alongside the standard A level offer and IB entry requirements for relevantprogram pages.
Contextual information is used as part of a holistic admissions assessment and applicants are assessed alongside all other comparable applicants. Therefore, the existence of a contextual tag does not guarantee that an offer will be made.
LSE considers applicants applying with an International Baccalaureate degree. Offers at LSE are based on the overall credit score combined with the individual scores in each of the higher courses considered.
The International Baccalaureate is scored with 45 points, and the requirements for admission to LSE range from a total of 37 points (with three higher-level subjects in grades 6 6 6) to a total of 38 points (with three higher-level subjects in grades 7 6 6). The required credits for each individual program at LSE can be found atprogram pages.
International Baccalaureate Diploma in mathematics courses from September 2019IBO revised its mathematics curriculum in September 2019 and introduced two new subjects; Mathematics: analysis and approximationsUMathematics: applications and interpretation. See the specific requirements of our program below:
Mathematics:analysis and approximations (HL)required
- graduate engineer in mathematics and economics
- graduate engineer in mathematics with economics
- graduate engineer in financial mathematics and statistics
- Graduated engineer in mathematics with data science
Mathematics:analysis and approximations (HL)desirable/desirable (butboth flows taken into account)
- Diploma in Economics
- graduate economist with economic history
- graduate in econometrics and mathematical economics
- dipl.ing.financ
- qualified actuar
- graduate engineer in mathematics, statistics and business administration
Both streams (HL) are acceptable
- Bachelor of Accounting and Finance
- BSc Data Science
- graduate economist with economics
- graduate in economics and economic history
- Graduated environmental protection policy with economics
- graduate engineer in geography with economics
- graduate in political science and economics
- graduated in psychology and behavior
- graduate management
- Bachelor of Philosophy and Economics
- graduate in philosophy, politics and economics
- BSc international social and public policy and economics
We accept the European Baccalaureate for admission to the LSE. Below are the requirements for A level and its equivalent in the European Baccalaureate. Our entry requirements vary by program and you must visit the individualbachelor program websitefor this information.
| On level | Equivalent to the European Baccalaureate |
| A*AA | 88 |
| AAA | 85 |
| AAB | 80 |
| Mathematics A* | 9 in mathematics (full option - five hours a week |
| Mathematics A | 8.5 in mathematics (full option - five hours a week) |
Cambridge Pre-ULSE considers applicants applying with a Cambridge Pre-U degree or one or more majors combined with A Levels. We consider the full course Cambridge Pre-U Major to be equivalent to A level. Our degree equivalents are:
Equivalent to LSE A-level | Pre-U-class |
n.v.t | Pre-U D1 |
A-level A* | Pre-U D2 |
A-level A | Pre-U D3 |
A-level B | Pre-U M1 |
The Global Perspectives and Independent Research (GPR) project is considered the equivalent of an extended project and will not be part of a conditional offer.
BTEC
BTEC Level 3 qualifications (BTEC Nationals) are considered on an individual basis for admission to the LSE. Because of the structure and assessment of BTECs, they are not considered as good preparation for our degree programs as higher academic qualifications. As BTEC qualifications tend to cover non-preferred subjects, they may be considered less competitive for programs with large numbers of well-qualified applicants. Our entry requirements for students completing reformed BTEC qualifications (based on RQF specifications) are set out below. We also accept unreformed BTEC qualifications (based on QCF specifications), again on an individual basis. All other entry requirements must normally be met, including GCSE English and maths at B level and all maths and further maths requirements at A level. You should ask your judge to note any mitigating circumstances that may have affected the choice of courses available to you after 16.
Qualification | Enrollment requirements | UGAA led? |
BTEC National Certificate | Not eligible for entry | N.v.t |
BTEC National Extended Certificate | Acceptable ONLY in combination with A levels in two traditional academic subjects. D with A*A for A*AA courses | UGAA is not required |
BTEC National Foundation-diploma | Acceptable ONLY in combination with A levels in two traditional academic subjects. D with A*A for A*AA courses | UGAA is not required |
BTEC National Diploma | Acceptable ONLY in combination with A levels in two traditional academic subjects. DD with A*A for A*AA courses | UGAA is not required |
BTEC National Advanced Diploma | D*DD with A* for A*AA courses | Assessment for admission to UG is required if the student does not have an A level |
Mathematics A*/A | A-Level Mathematics (and, where appropriate, further A-Level Mathematics) must be offered. |
Cambridge technique
Qualification | Enrollment requirements | UGAA led? |
Cambridge Technical Certificate Level 3 (180 GLH) | Not eligible for entry | N.v.t |
Razina 3 Cambridge Technical Advanced Certificate (360 GLH) | Acceptable ONLY in combination with A levels in two traditional academic subjects D with A*A for A*AA courses | UGAA is not required |
Niveau 3 Cambridge Technical Foundation-diploma (540 GLH) | Acceptable ONLY in combination with A levels in two traditional academic subjects DD with A*A for A*AA courses | UGAA is not required |
Cambridge Technical Diploma Level 3 (720 GLH) | Acceptable ONLY in combination with A levels in two traditional academic subjects DD with A*A for A*AA courses | UGAA is not required |
Razina 3 Cambridge Technical Advanced Diploma (1080 GLH) | DDD s A* za A*AA Acceptable without A levels with a good performance in the undergraduate entrance exam | UGAA without A levels required |
Mathematics A*/A | A-level maths (and further A-level maths if applicable) must be offered |
NB D* refers to award*
BTEC and Cambridge Technical Level 3 qualifications (BTEC nationals) are considered on an individual basis for admission to LSE.
Welsh Baccalaureate
Applicants who complete an advanced Welsh Baccalaureate are expected to have studied three subjects to A-level, and we normally make an offer based on three A-level grades (excluding the Welsh Baccalaureate qualification). If you were only able to take two A Levels alongside the Welsh Baccalaureate due to school/university restrictions, we may consider making an offer based on two A Levels and the Welsh Baccalaureate instead of a third A Level. The Welsh Baccalaureate is considered a non-preferred subject and we expect two widely preferred A-level subjects (see above). Supporting evidence relating to your school's A Level and Welsh Baccalaureate policy is required and must be referenced.
Scottish Higher/Advanced Higher
We normally expect Advanced Highs in three subjects.
On level | Equivalent in Scottish advanced higher education |
A*AA | A1AA |
AAA | AAA |
AAB | AAB |
Where A Level Maths is required we require Advanced Higher Maths and where Additional Maths is required we require Additional Advanced Higher Maths (Mathematics of Mechanics or Statistics from 2015).
If the applicant is, for reasons beyond their control, prevented from studying more than two Advanced Highers, we may consider an offer of two Advanced Highers plus an additional Higher or Scottish Baccalaureate interdisciplinary project studied in S6.
Modern Studies is considered a traditional academic/generally preferred subject.
If an applicant has not completed National Qualification 5 or an equivalent qualification in English and/or Maths, we expect that subject to be offered at a higher level and a grade may be required.
LSE accepts both Maths and Maths Life Skills (National 5) for non-quantitative programmes, but a minimum grade of B is required.
Scottish HNC/HND
These qualifications will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis depending on the nature of the content covered by the qualification and the desired study programme. A maths level or equivalent may also be required.
T razine
T level qualifications (relevant subjects only) will be considered on an individual basis. Depending on the entry requirements of the program being applied for, we are likely to only accept students with an overall grade of at least Honours, and in some cases Honors* may be required. As applicants are considered on an individual basis, a certain level of A*-B in the core component and merit or distinction in professional specialization may be requested.
The following topics can be discussed individually:
- Digital production, design and development
- Digital business services
- Science
- Bookkeeping
- Finances
- Management and administration
- Legally
- Education and childcare
- Health
- Health science
The following subjects are not considered suitable for participation:
- Design, measurement and construction planning
- Human resources
- Construction engineering for construction
- Digital support and services
- Build on location
- Design and development for engineering and production
- Engineering, production, processing and control
- Maintenance, assembly and repair for engineering and production
- Care and management of animals
- Agriculture, land management and production
- Hospitality
- Craftsmanship and design
- Hair, beauty and aesthetics
- Media, broadcasting and production
In addition, any candidate applying for a program with a mathematics requirement must additionally hold an A-Level Mathematics qualification or an equivalent qualification.
All applicants applying for an LLB (course code M100) at LSE for entry in 2024 (or deferred entry in 2025) must sit the Law National Admissions Test (LNAT). LNAT is not required for any other program at LSE.
Why did LSE introduce LNAT?Each cycle LSE receives a very large number of highly qualified candidates for LLB studies. The LNAT will provide additional information about an applicant's suitability for law school and is intended to be used in conjunction with existing assessments to make fair admissions decisions.
What is LNAT?The LNAT is a national law entrance exam and is used by several UK universities as part of the admissions process.
The LNAT is a 2¼-hour test that consists of two parts: a passage-based multiple-choice section and a written essay.
It was designed to check the suitability of candidates for university law studies; it worksit is notrequires a certain prior knowledge of the law. As such, candidates do not need additional tutoring to take the test, and we do not support or recommend paying third parties to provide tutoring assistance or preparation materials. The LNAT website provides official information and guidance on how to prepare for the exam, including sample papers.
We strongly recommend that you visit the LNAT website before submitting your application for detailed information about the test.www.lnat.ac.uk.
When and where do I take the test?For entry in September 2024 (or deferred entry in September 2025), the LNAT can be taken between 1 September 2023 and 31 December 2023.
You can submit your application to LSE via UCAS before or after taking the exam, but to ensure fair and equal treatment of all applications, you must submit the LNAT test beforeDecember 31, 2023. Make sure you select LSE when you register your LNAT account so we can retrieve your LNAT result in time.
You can take the test only once per enrollment cycle. If you re-apply, the test results cannot be carried over to the next application cycle.
The exam is administered by Pearson VUE and exam centers are available throughout the UK and beyond. You must register with Pearson VUE on the LNAT website to book your exam. For more details seewww.lnat.ac.uk.
What are the costs of taking the test?The cost of taking the exam for candidates can be found on the LNAT website. Help is available for UK/EU students who cannot afford the exam costs. UK/EU students who are eligible for certain government benefits can apply for an LNAT scholarship. For more information and to apply for LNAT support, seehttp://www.lnat.ac.uk/registration/paying-for-your-test/How will the LSE use the LNAT when making admissions decisions?We currently only use the multiple choice score when evaluating candidates; for most applicants, the essay will not be considered. However, we reserve the right to review essays for applicants pursuing non-traditional or lesser-known qualifications. (see chapter on UGANDA).
There is no minimum score in the multiple choice section that candidates are expected to achieve in order to be successful. Instead, the score can be used to differentiate between candidates with similar qualifications. The multiple choice score will form part of our holistic assessment of the applicant and will be used alongside all other information on the UCAS form, including academic record, contextual information, reference and personal statement.
Can I be considered for admission to the LLB at LSE if I have not passed the LNAT?No, all candidates applying to the LLB program must take part in the LNAT; we only consider candidates who have taken the LNATDecember 31, 2023.
In extreme circumstances, an applicant may be exempt from taking the exam, for example if there is no test center in your country of residence or if access to the test center is interrupted due to civil unrest or a natural disaster. Waivers are rare and are considered by each university on a case-by-case basis.
If I take the LNAT test, do I have to participate in the UGAA?Some applicants pursuing non-traditional qualifications or lesser-known qualifications may be required to complete an Undergraduate Admission Assessment (UGAA) as part of their application to LSE. The UGAA is an assessment conducted by the LSE that assesses a candidate's English and Maths skills. For more information on the UGAA, including a list of qualifications that require a UGAA, seeUGAA-pages.Applicants to the LSE LLB program are exempt from participation in the UGAA. Instead, the essay part of the LNAT may be graded. Undergraduate will contact these students starting in January if an academic selector wishes to review the LNAT essay as part of the application process.
Iyou are also applying to other LSE programmesaside fromlaw degreeYou may need to attend UGAA, especially if the program has a math entry requirement. When you submit your application, you will be notified by email if you may need to follow the UGAA.
Applicants applying for programs offered by the Department of Mathematics are encouraged to apply forMathematics test before admission to university (TMUA)The test is not mandatory, but a good performance on the test can help win an offer.
The test lasts 2 hours and 30 minutes and consists of two multiple-choice questions designed to assess your mathematical knowledge and mathematical reasoning ability. UK students with financial need can take the test for free at any British Council-authorised test center in the UK. You seeTMUA-placefor more details.
TMUA will be held on October 18, 2023. VisitTMUA-placeaccess past papers, learn about the format and apply for assessment.
Applicants applying for the following degree programs are encouraged to participate in TMUA:
- Bachelor of Mathematics and Economics (GL11)
- Bachelor of Mathematics with Economics (G1L1)
- BSc Financial Mathematics and Statistics (GN13)
LSE values the skills that language acquisition brings and many of our candidates describe themselves as bilingual, trilingual or multilingual. However, we distinguish between qualifications for language learning and those intended for competent language users. If we have reason to believe that the student has already been in contact with the language, we may exclude the language learning qualification from any of our offers.
Significant prior exposure to the language may include:
you, your immediate family or your community regularly speak the language in everyday life.
you live or have lived in a country where that language is widely spoken.
- you are or have been trained in that language.
The most common qualifications that this applies to are language A levels (except those aimed at first language users, eg Welsh first language), language B courses for the International Baccalaureate and language and culture courses for advanced employment. We can be more flexible in our requirements when looking at courses that are only taken at AS or Standard level, although we can still exclude them.
To help make this decision, we take into account all the information provided in your UCAS application, such as your nationality, schools you attended (before and after 16), language qualifications completed, usual place of residence and information from your judge. If it is not clear to us whether the language qualification being taken presents a significant academic challenge, we may request further information from you or your referee before making a final decision.
Access to a higher education diplomaAccess to a higher education degree is checked on a case-by-case basis for direct entry. Some candidates may be invited toAssessment of undergraduate studies (UGAA)according to the decision of the enrollment selector.
It is useful for the selectors to have information about your previous achievements at the Diploma. Applicants may consider submitting their application later in the UCAS cycle, when more information is available; Equal consideration will be given to all applications received before the January UCAS deadline.
It is also useful to know exactly what your qualification is called and which modules you will be following at Level 3. The content of your qualification must relate well to your training at LSE. Also, be sure to include the awarding body (must be recognized by the QAA); If you are not sure about this, contact your university. If you are unsure whether we would consider your Higher Education Access qualification for a particular programme, please contact uscontact us.
For programs requiring A-level maths, you will need an A*/A in A-level maths (check program pages for specific entry requirements) in addition to your Access to Higher Education Diploma,fromyour access to a higher education degree will include content equivalent to A level maths and you will be required to differentiate all your maths credits. Information on the content of A-level Mathematics can be found herehere.
All applicants must complete their degree with 45 credits at level 3. Grade requirements depend on the program being applied for, see below:
Application for enrollment in the level | Application for access to higher education |
A*AA | Complete an Access to Higher Education Diploma with 45 Level 3 credits: 39 must be from units awarded with Distinction, with 6 Level 3 credits with a pass. |
AAA | Complete the Access to Higher Education Diploma with 45 Level 3 credits: 36 must be from units awarded with Distinction, with 9 Level 3 credits with a pass. |
AAB | Complete the Access to Higher Education Diploma with 45 Level 3 credits: 33 must be from units awarded with Distinction, with 12 Level 3 credits with Merit. |
Grades may be required for certain components related to the degree program being applied for.
Basic courses
We accept applications from students who can complete the propaedeutic year, but not all propaedeutic courses are acceptable for all programs. In previous years we have received applications from students taking foundation courses at institutions such as the University of London International Programme, University College London, Kings College London and the University of Warwick. LSE will only consider core international programs run by UK institutions.
Applicants interested in the following programs should cover the content of the A-Level Mathematics curriculum:
- Accounting and Finance (NN34)
- Actuarial Science (N321)
- Data Science (N3UD)
- Economics (L101)
Econometrics and Mathematical Economics (L140)
Economics with economic history (L1V3)
Economic history with economics (V3L1)
Economy and economic history (VL31)
Environmental policy with economics (F9L1)
Finance (N300)
- Financial mathematics and statistics (GN13)
Geography with Economics (L7L1)
- International Social and Public Policy and Economics (LLK1)
Control (N200)
Mathematics and Economics (GL11)
Mathematics with Economics (G1L1)
Mathematics, statistics and business administration (G0N0)
Philosophy and Economics (LV15)
Philosophy, politics and economics (L0V0)
Politics and economics (LL12)
Information about the content of A-level Mathematics can be found herehere. After submitting the application, foundation course candidates must verify the content of their foundation course and submit the details.
We assess foundation course students alongside other applicants using the full range of information presented in the UCAS application. Those who show potential may be asked to take the School Entrance Examination (UGAA). Final admission decisions are based on performance in UGAA and information on the UCAS form.
International qualifications acceptedAlthough this is not an exhaustive list, the following international qualifications may qualify candidates for consideration by the LSE:
• At least five advanced practice courses (see deFaculty boardUUCASwebsite) for a maximum period of three years. Confirmation of our AP requirements can be found herehere• AInternational programs of the University of Londonqualification*
• Basic program (LSE will only consider core international programs run by UK institutions)
• One year of university studies with a bachelor's degree from another institution**
*Please note that some programs have specific entry requirements. It is recommended that you contact the Undergraduate Admissions Department for advice before applying.
**Applicants to whom we make an offer on the basis of a Bachelor's degree are normally expected to achieve a B+/2:1 or its equivalent, but higher grades may be required in certain subjects.
Candidates who have been offered a position based on a propaedeutic program or university degree may be asked to serveAssessment of undergraduate studies (UGAA).
We are also happy to consider a wide range of alternative international qualifications. See our standard entry requirements for your qualification atInformation for foreign students.