London School of Economics and Political Science

Undergraduate applications

All undergraduate applications are made through UCAS; LSE does not accept direct applications. For entry in September 2027 (and deferred entry in 2028), the deadline for full and equal consideration is 13 January 2027, 18.00 (GMT). Applications after this date are considered only if places remain, which is rare. LSE does not usually take part in UCAS Extra or Clearing, does not interview applicants and does not use education agents for undergraduate recruitment. In 2026 the School received approximately 34,000 applications for roughly 1,900 places.

Typical offers and qualifications

Standard offers are expressed in GCE A-levels and the International Baccalaureate Diploma and are listed on each programme page; meeting them does not guarantee an offer. Selectors weigh achieved and predicted grades, subject combinations, the personal statement, contextual information and the UCAS reference. BTEC Level 3 qualifications are considered individually, normally alongside A-levels in two traditional academic subjects (for example a Distinction in a BTEC Extended Certificate with A*A for A*AA programmes), with GCSE English and Mathematics at grade B. Scottish Advanced Highers, the Welsh Baccalaureate, Access to HE Diplomas, Advanced Placement and UK-delivered international foundation programmes are also considered. Applicants with less familiar qualifications may be asked to sit the Undergraduate Admissions Assessment (UGAA), an LSE test of English and Mathematics.

Contextual offers

For Home fee status applicants from the UK, contextual flags supplied by UCAS are taken into account. Applicants from TUNDRA Quintile 1 postcodes, those eligible for Free School Meals, care-experienced applicants and participants in specified LSE widening participation or Sutton Trust Pathways programmes may receive a contextual offer one or two grades below the standard offer; any mathematics requirement must still be met.

Admissions tests

Applicants to the LLB (M100) must sit the Law National Admissions Test (LNAT), by 31 December 2026 for 2027 entry. The Test of Mathematics for University Admission (TMUA) is compulsory for BSc Economics and BSc Econometrics and Mathematical Economics, and recommended for several other programmes.

International undergraduate entry

International applicants use the same UCAS process and are strongly advised to apply by the January deadline. Country pages set out how national qualifications are treated; for example, the West African Senior School Certificate of Education (WASSCE) on its own is not accepted, so applicants from Ghana need A-levels, the IB or another accepted qualification. Second-year entry is possible only in exceptional cases and in a limited number of departments.

English language requirements

Undergraduates need proof of English only once an offer is made, by a deadline in July. Accepted results include IELTS Academic 7.0 overall with 7.0 in each component; TOEFL iBT 100 overall (minimum 27 Writing, 25 Reading, 24 Listening, 24 Speaking); Pearson PTE Academic (in person) 70 overall with 70 in each component; Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency 185 in each component; GCSE English Language grade B/6; and IB English A at Higher Level (any grade) or Standard Level 6. Graduate programmes use four bands. The Standard band is IELTS 7.0 overall with 6.5 in each component, or TOEFL iBT 100. The Higher band is IELTS 7.0 with 7.0 in Reading. The Research band is IELTS 7.0 with 7.0 in Reading and Writing. The Law band is IELTS 7.5 with 7.0 in each component, or TOEFL iBT 109. Test results must be less than two years old.

Postgraduate taught entry

Master's programmes normally require a first or upper second class honours (2:1) degree from a UK university, or the non-UK equivalent, in a relevant subject; popular programmes often look for a first. For degrees outside the UK the usual benchmark is at least 70 per cent in final-year examinations or a GPA of 3.5 out of 4. Some quantitative programmes require GRE or GMAT scores. Applications for 2027/28 open in October 2026 through LSE's online system and can be submitted once per cycle. They need two references, a statement of academic purpose, a CV, transcripts and a £95 application assessment fee. Most programmes decide on a rolling basis and close when full.

Research degrees

MPhil/PhD entry normally requires a UK taught master's degree with merit or equivalent, plus a research proposal; MRes/PhD tracks require at least a 2:1 degree. Application and funding deadlines for 2027 entry are 3 December 2026 (some departments), 13 January 2027 (main deadline for ESRC and LSE PhD Studentships) and 27 May 2027 (final deadline).

LSE has a single central London campus around Houghton Street and Lincoln's Inn Fields (Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE), with halls of residence across inner London and a sports ground in Surrey.

• Main campus, Houghton Street and Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2: all departments and institutes, teaching and research. Key buildings include the Old Building (student services, badminton court), the Centre Building, the Marshall Building (LSESU sports hall, squash courts, strength and conditioning suite, rehearsal and music practice rooms), the Sir Arthur Lewis Building (Department of Economics), the Cheng Kin Ku Building and the Lionel Robbins Building.
• LSE Library (Lionel Robbins Building): the British Library of Political and Economic Science, with over 4 million printed items, 130,000 ebooks and more than 120,000 ejournals, over 2,000 study seats, over 500 networked PCs and LSE LIFE on the ground floor.
• Saw Swee Hock Student Centre, 1 Sheffield Street: home of the LSE Students' Union, cafés, the student pub and nightclub, study spaces, a gym and exercise studio, a roof terrace and LSE Careers.
• Health and wellbeing: St Philips Medical Centre (NHS general practice) in Pethick-Lawrence House, the Student Wellbeing Service, Sardinia House Dental Practice (discounted private dental care for students), the LSE Treatment Clinic and the Faith Centre.
• Berrylands Sports Ground, New Malden, Surrey: 9.5 hectares of playing fields with football, rugby and cricket pitches, cricket nets and a floodlit multi-use games area for netball and tennis.
• Halls of residence: LSE halls including Bankside House, Butler's Wharf Residence, Carr-Saunders Hall, High Holborn Residence, Lilian Knowles House, Passfield Hall, Robeson House (graduate students only), Rosebery Hall and Sidney Webb House; University of London intercollegiate halls including College Hall, Connaught Hall, International Hall, Nutford House and The Garden Halls; and an LSE allocation at urbanest Westminster Bridge.