Cardiff University

Undergraduate entry

All full-time undergraduate degrees are applied for through UCAS (institution code C15). Applicants may apply for up to five courses. Entry requirements, including typical offers in A-level, BTEC, International Baccalaureate and other qualifications, are set course by course. A small number of programmes, including part-time study, are applied for directly to the university. Preliminary Year (foundation) programmes provide an alternative route into degree courses and are also applied for through UCAS. Most Academic Schools consider deferred entry.

Key dates (2026 entry cycle)

• 14 January: UCAS equal consideration date and closing date for most undergraduate courses; later applications are considered at the admissions tutors' discretion
• 30 June: closing date for late applications and normal closing date for international applications
• 15 October: closing date for Medicine (A101, A104) and Dentistry (A200) for September 2027 entry
• Clearing opens 2 July; the last day to apply directly into Clearing is 24 September

Contextual admissions

A contextual admissions policy considers factors such as indexes of multiple deprivation for the home postcode, school performance and free school meal data, and whether parents or guardians hold a higher education qualification. Participants in schemes such as Confident Futures, Step Up to University and Sutton Trust programmes are also recognised. Contextual applicants who qualify usually receive an offer at the lower end of the advertised grade range. Sutton Trust Medicine and Dentistry summer school participants applying to BDS Dentistry or MBBCh Medicine are guaranteed an interview if they meet the minimum entry requirements. Only information in the original UCAS application is used.

International undergraduate entry

International applicants check qualification equivalences on the university's country pages. The International Study Centre, run in partnership with Study Group, offers an International Foundation Year (Humanities, Law and Social Sciences; Business, Economics, Accounting and Finance; Engineering, Physical Sciences and Architecture; Health, Medical and Life Sciences), an Accelerated International Foundation Year of 22 weeks, and an International Year One leading into year two of degrees in Accounting and Finance, Business Management, Engineering, International Relations and Law. Students who complete these programmes with the required grades are guaranteed entry to a wide range of degrees. The NCUK International Foundation Year is also accepted for many courses, assessed case by case.

English language requirements

The university minimum is GCSE English Language grade C/4 or IELTS Academic 6.5 overall with at least 5.5 in each component; most courses ask for IELTS 6.5 or 7.0. Accepted equivalents to IELTS 6.5 overall include PTE Academic 69, TOEFL iBT 88 (tests before January 2026) or 4.5 (from January 2026), LanguageCert Academic (in person) 70 and Oxford ELLT 7. Medicine (MBBCh) requires IELTS 7.0 overall with 7.0 in speaking and 6.5 in other components, and MPharm Pharmacy requires 7.0 overall with 6.5 in each component. Online IELTS is not accepted. Pre-sessional English courses are available, and some offers are made on condition of completing one.

Postgraduate taught and research entry

Postgraduate applications are made through the university's online application portal (SIMS) from each course or research area page, and there is no application fee. Applicants can apply before meeting the entry requirements and receive a conditional offer. Self-funded research applicants write a research proposal and contact a potential supervisor; funded studentships may have their own application process. The Social Work, Legal Practice Course and Graduate Diploma in Law programmes have separate application routes. Equivalent international qualifications are listed in the Postgraduate Taught Alternative Qualifications guide. International students offered a taught master's place pay a tuition fee deposit to secure it, unless they are fully sponsored, hold a full tuition fee loan or are progressing from an approved partner programme. The Pre-Master's programme at the International Study Centre provides a route into postgraduate study.

Visas

Applicants who need a Student Route visa must present an English language qualification that meets UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) requirements. Tuition fees paid in advance can be deducted from the funds required for the visa and should be shown correctly on the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS).

Cathays Park, Cardiff (Park Place, CF10 3AT): the main campus, less than half a mile from the city centre, where most Academic Schools are based.

• Portland stone civic buildings alongside new laboratories, lecture theatres and IT suites, with an ongoing £200m investment in facilities
• The main Students' Union building on Park Place, with food outlets, a shop, a bookshop, a student letting agency, a nightclub, a pub and 24-hour study space
• Several libraries on or near the campus; across the university the libraries hold over 1.1 million printed books and give access to more than 1.5 million online books, journals and resources
• 24/7 security and CCTV coverage, with halls such as Aberconway, Aberdare, Colum, Gordon, Hodge and Senghennydd close by

Heath Park, Cardiff: the dedicated healthcare campus, a mile north of the city centre and next to 100 acres of parkland and playing fields, shared with the University Hospital of Wales. It hosts healthcare-related courses (excluding Pharmacy and Optometry).

• The £18m Cochrane Building with a three-storey library, labs and seminar space
• Operating theatres, lecture theatres and 24/7 study areas and IT facilities
• Students' Union services, residences nearby (including Clodien House) and sports facilities including a swimming pool, squash and badminton courts and a fitness suite

Residences: 17 university residences across the city, including Aberconway Hall, Aberdare Hall (all-woman), Cartwright Court, Clodien House, Colum Hall, Gordon Hall, Hodge Hall, Roy Jenkins Hall, Senghennydd Court, Senghennydd Hall (part-catered), student houses at Colum Road/Place and the Village, the Talybont complex (Court, Gate, North and South) and University Hall, which runs a bus service to both campuses. Weekly rents for 2026/27 start from £131.81.

Sport: the Fitness and Conditioning Centre, Sports Training Village, Sports Fields and Studio 49. The Athletic Union runs more than 70 clubs, which compete in British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS).