General information from official data, not careers or admissions advice. Not affiliated with UCAS or any university.
Be University WiseUK

Choose a UK university on official data, not guesswork

Rankings built only from government and regulator data, with every figure shown. Work out your UCAS points, find courses that could suit you, and see what living there costs.

Top universities for a subject

No questions. Pick a subject and see how universities compare on official measures, with every figure and source shown.

I'm a UK student

Enter your A levels, Highers, BTECs, T Levels or IB grades, both predicted and expected. See your UCAS points and courses that could suit you.

I'm an international student

Tell us your country, qualification, English test and budget. See courses, living costs and what the Student visa asks you to show.

Common questions

When is the UCAS deadline for 2027 entry?

18:00 UK time on 13 January 2027 for most undergraduate courses. Oxford, Cambridge and most medicine, dentistry and veterinary courses have an earlier deadline of 18:00 on 15 October 2026. More

How many universities can I apply to?

Up to five courses on one UCAS application. For medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine or veterinary science you can use up to four choices, and the fifth for a different subject. More

How long is the UCAS personal statement?

Up to 4,000 characters in total across the three answers, including spaces. Each answer must be at least 350 characters. More

How many UCAS points are AAB at A level?

136 points: 48 + 48 + 40. More

What is Clearing?

Clearing matches students who do not hold an offer with courses that still have places. For 2027 entry it opens on 2 July 2027 and is busiest on results days in August. More

What are firm and insurance choices?

Once you have your decisions, you choose one offer as your firm choice and can keep one as your insurance choice. Your insurance is a back-up, usually asking for lower grades, in case you miss your firm offer. More

How much are university tuition fees in England?

For 2026/27, up to £9,790 a year for a full-time undergraduate course at universities and colleges with a Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) award, or £9,525 without one. For 2027/28, the Office for Students has published limits of £10,050 with a TEF award and £9,780 without. Eligible students from England can take out a student loan for their tuition fees. More

Is university free in Scotland?

For eligible students from Scotland studying in Scotland, the tuition fee of £1,820 a year is paid by the Student Awards Agency Scotland, so they do not pay it themselves. Students from the rest of the UK can be charged up to £9,790 a year at Scottish universities. More

How much Maintenance Loan can I get?

Students from England can get up to £9,118 a year living with parents, £10,830 living away from home outside London, or £14,135 in London, for 2026/27. The amount depends on household income, so many students get less than the maximum. More

How much does it cost to live as a student in the UK?

It depends mainly on rent. Average private rent in the UK was £1,400 a month in August 2026 on ONS figures, but student rooms in halls or shared houses usually cost less, and rents vary a lot between cities. Use a budget that adds rent, bills, food, travel, course costs and going out. More

How much money do I need for a UK Student visa?

Your unpaid first-year tuition fees plus living costs of £1,171 a month outside London or £1,529 a month in London, for up to 9 months: £10,539 or £13,761. More

What is the Graduate Route?

The Graduate visa lets you stay in the UK to work or look for work after an eligible degree: 2 years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026, 18 months if you apply on or after 1 January 2027, and 3 years after a PhD. More

How does the Be Wise ranking work?

Each university is scored on four official measures: student experience (30%), continuation (25%), graduate prospects (25%) and earnings five years after graduating, compared with the UK average for the same subjects (20%). The results are combined and shown out of 100. More

Does Be University Wise store my answers?

No. Your grades and answers are processed in your own browser and are not sent to us. Your shortlist is saved only on your own device. More

See all our UK university FAQs · All guides

AdvertisementSpace for student accommodation, banking or insurance providers. Contact us if you wish to advertise. Advertising never affects our rankings.

UK university rankings

Ranked on four official measures: student experience 30%, continuation 25%, graduate prospects 25% and earnings 20%. How we rank.

Set your own priorities

Move the sliders to change how much each measure counts. Your choices stay in your browser.

Other league tables

Commercial league tables use their own methods and data choices, so it can help to look at several. We do not reproduce their results.

Your grades and UCAS points

Add each qualification with the grade you have been predicted and the grade you expect to get. We work out UCAS Tariff points for both, so you can see two scenarios side by side.

What next?

If you know the subject you want, choose it. If not, the course finder asks what you enjoy and suggests subjects to look at.

Studying in the UK as an international student

Answer a few questions. Your answers stay on this device.

Choose a subject

Course finder

Short questions about what you are good at and what you enjoy. We suggest subjects using fixed rules, not AI, and say why each one came up.

What kind of place suits you?

Every question is optional. Skip any you do not mind about. Nothing here leaves your device.

Universities for your subject

AdvertisementSpace for student accommodation, banking, insurance or British Council-trained education agents. Contact us if you wish to advertise. Advertising never affects our rankings or your list.

Cost of living by university city

Budget calculator

Monthly amounts. Change any figure. Nothing is saved or sent.

Tuition fees for 2026 to 2027

The most a university can charge UK students a year for a full-time undergraduate course. Fees depend on where you normally live and where you study.

You live inStudy in EnglandStudy in WalesStudy in ScotlandStudy in Northern Ireland
EnglandUp to £9,790Up to £9,790Up to £9,790Set by the university
WalesUp to £9,790Up to £9,790Up to £9,790Set by the university
ScotlandUp to £9,790Up to £9,790£1,820, paid by SAAS for eligible studentsSet by the university
Northern IrelandUp to £9,790Up to £9,790Up to £9,790Up to £4,985

Sources: GOV.UK Student finance; Welsh Government written statement, 28 November 2025; Department for the Economy (NI) rates memorandum 2026 to 2027; SAAS. Fees for students from Great Britain at Northern Ireland universities are set by each university: check the course page. In England, £9,790 applies to universities and colleges with a TEF award (£9,525 without). For 2027 to 2028, the Office for Students has published England limits of £10,050 with a TEF award and £9,780 without. Tuition fees guide.

AdvertisementSpace for student banking and contents insurance. Contact us if you wish to advertise.

UCAS points calculator

Add your qualifications to see your UCAS Tariff points for predicted and expected grades. Universities set their own entry requirements and many make offers in grades, not points.

Compare two universities

Your shortlist

Saved on this device only. We never see it. Clearing your browser data removes it.

UCAS dates and deadlines for 2027 entry

  1. 12 May 2026
    Applications open. You can register and start your application.
  2. 1 September 2026
    Completed applications can be sent to UCAS once your school or college has added your reference.
  3. 15 October 2026, 18:00
    Deadline for Oxford, Cambridge, and most medicine, dentistry and veterinary courses. Admissions tests are usually taken before this.
  4. 13 January 2027, 18:00
    Equal consideration deadline for most other undergraduate courses.
  5. 25 February 2027
    UCAS Extra opens if you have used all five choices and hold no offers.
  6. 30 June 2027, 18:00
    Last date to apply with choices. Applications after this go straight into Clearing.
  7. 2 July 2027
    Clearing opens.
  8. August 2027
    Results days. Scottish results come out first, then A level results. Clearing is busiest now.

Source: UCAS key dates for 2027 entry. The application fee for 2027 entry is £34.50 for up to five choices, with fee waivers for students who had free school meals and for care leavers. Always check the deadline on each course page.

Your five choices

You can choose up to five courses. For medicine, dentistry or veterinary courses you can use up to four of them, plus one other. When your decisions arrive you pick a firm choice and an insurance choice. Your insurance is usually a course asking for lower grades, in case you miss your firm offer.

Many students find it helps to spread their choices: courses where their grades sit below, around and above those of past entrants. Our Aspirational, Realistic and Safer labels help you see that spread.

Clearing and releasing yourself

Clearing matches places still available with students who do not hold an offer. If your results are better than expected and you want a different course, you can release yourself into Clearing from your UCAS Hub. Speak to the university you want to move to first, because releasing yourself gives up your current place.

Read the full Clearing guide

Guides

Ask a question

Ask about UCAS, student finance, Clearing, visas or anything in our guides. Answers are general information, not advice about your own application. Please do not type personal details.

Answers come from an AI model guided by official sources such as UCAS, GOV.UK and the Office for Students. It can make mistakes, so check anything important with the organisation concerned. For advice on your own visa application, speak to your university's international student adviser or a regulated immigration adviser.

Install Be University WiseAdd it to your home screen for quick access.