Durham University for international applicants: entry in 2027

Durham takes applications through UCAS, and the 2027 entry offers on the course pages start at A*AA for Computer Science, Economics and Law and A*A*A for Mathematics.

Each course page also lists an international tuition fee, for example £35,000 a year for Computer Science, and a language band that sets the IELTS and TOEFL minimums. The sections below follow the order of an application: route and dates, grades by qualification, English, tests, then money.

An official offer is a gate that decides whether Durham considers you, not a description of the students who end up admitted. Durham publishes no admission statistics on the pages used here, so this report gives none.

Durham tells applicants to register with UCAS and build the application there: Register with UCAS.

The Durham course codes you search for in UCAS are on each course page, for example the Computer Science, Economics, Law and Mathematics pages used in this report. Every course page shows September 2027 as the start date.

If you apply through a school or college, you need the school's buzzword. If you apply on your own, you do not. The exact wording is on the Durham how-to-apply page.

Durham asks you to apply by the January UCAS Equal Consideration Date for the best chance of an offer; the page names no calendar day.

Earlier deadlines exist for some courses: the page says that for Oxford, Cambridge, or Medicine, Dentistry or Veterinary Science the deadline is 15 October. The courses in this report are not in that group, but check the UCAS date for your own course before you plan.

Your school or college may set its own earlier date so that it can write your reference. Treat the school date as the real deadline.

For 2027 entry the standard A-level offer is A*AA for Computer Science, A*AA for Economics and A*AA for Law, and A*A*A for Mathematics.

Economics needs Mathematics at A-level, and the page adds: You do not need to have studied Economics at A-Level to apply.

Contextual offers are lower grades for eligible applicants, listed on each course page, for example AAB for Computer Science. Durham links an eligibility check from the page.

Computer Science, Economics and Law ask for 37 IB points with 766 in higher level subjects, and Mathematics asks for 38 points.

Mathematics asks for 776 in higher level subjects including a 7 in Higher Level Mathematics (Analysis & Approaches), or 766 with a suitable result in an accepted mathematics test.

Computer Science and Economics require Mathematics among the higher level subjects. For Economics, standard level Mathematics at grade 7 is accepted if you do not take it at higher level.

The lines are quoted from each course page and apply to the 2027 entry listed there.

If your school offers AP, Durham needs at least two AP exam scores, and the exams must be sat and submitted: the course grade is not accepted.

The A*A*A equivalent is three AP scores of 5,5,5, or two scores of 5,5 plus one more qualification such as an SAT I of 1390.

The same table on the course pages gives the A*AA and lower rows. It is a US-applicant table on each course page; read the row for your target grade there.

Durham converts national secondary diplomas into A-level grades; for the A*AA offer an Italian Esame di Stato needs an overall 95%, a German Abitur 1.4 and a Spanish Bachillerato 8.9, according to the page as of October 2026.

The same pages give a full ladder from A*A*A to ABB for each country, and every country asks for a minimum in the required subjects as well as overall. Read your country's row before you choose a course.

Several school certificates are not accepted for direct entry: the page says the Brazilian Certificado de Ensino Médio is not suitable for direct entry, and the same is stated for Algeria, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

Durham asks these applicants for a foundation programme or another qualification such as A-levels, and mentions a route through the Durham International Study Centre. For Algeria the page says the Baccalauréat certificate does not give direct entry into year one; for Egypt it says the same of the Al-Thanawaya Al-Amah; for Saudi Arabia of the Shahadat Al-Thanawaya Al-Aama.

Vietnam and Japan have a different door: Durham reads a passed first year of a bachelor's degree at a recognised university as an A-level equivalent, with 7.3 CGPA for A*AA from Vietnam and 85% for A*AA from Japan. The page for Brazil says a completed Year 1 at a good university may be considered case by case.

Indonesia is handled the same way: the page maps Year 1 of an Indonesian Bachelor's degree to A-level grades.

Each course has an English band: Computer Science is Band B, Mathematics is Band B, the Business School is Band B and the Law School is Band A for undergraduates.

If you are not studying in a majority English-speaking country, you need an accepted English language test. Durham lists the accepted tests and the band minimums on separate pages.

Band B asks for IELTS 7.0 with no component under 6.5, and Band A asks for 7.0 with no component under 7.0.

These are direct-entry minimums. Durham also runs pre-sessional English courses with their own bands.

You can skip the test if you are from a listed country or recently completed a qualification equivalent to a UK degree in one, and a degree taught in English can also count.

The page says: If you have already studied a degree taught in English, you may not need to take an additional English language test. The list of recognised English-speaking countries is on the English language page.

Computer Science is a BSc taught full-time, asks A*AA including A in Mathematics and charges international students £35,000 a year.

The IB route is 37 points with 766 in higher level subjects including Mathematics. The English minimum is Band B: IELTS 7.0.

Home students pay £10,050 a year. Durham states no admission test for Computer Science on the pages used here.

Economics is a BSc in the Business School and asks A*AA including Mathematics; international fees are £32,500 a year.

The IB offer is 37 points with 766 in higher level subjects including Mathematics. English is Band B, so IELTS 7.0 with no component under 6.5.

Home fees are £10,050 a year.

Law asks A*AA and the Law National Aptitude Test: LNAT is an essential requirement before we consider your application.

The IB offer is 37 points with 766 in higher level subjects. Law is Band A for English, the strictest band: IELTS 7.0 with no component under 7.0.

International tuition is £31,000 a year; home students pay £10,050.

Mathematics asks A*A*A including A*A* in Mathematics and Further Mathematics, and the optional TMUA or STEP can lower it: a TMUA score of 5.0 or above makes you eligible for a reduced offer.

The page strongly encourages you to sit one of the tests. For applicants with AS Further Mathematics only, a good pass in one of these tests is an essential requirement.

A grade 2 in any STEP paper also makes you eligible for a reduced offer. International tuition is £32,500 a year.

International tuition for 2027 entry runs from £31,000 for Law to £35,000 for Computer Science, against £10,050 for home students.

The course pages list the fee per year for the first year; check them again before you pay a deposit, because the fee status is decided by Durham and not by you.

Official pages of Durham University, UCAS, gov.uk and the ranking publishers. Applicant reports, where shown, are self-reported and labelled.

https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/how-to-apply/ · https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/courses/computer-science-g400/ · https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/courses/mathematics-g100/ · https://www.durham.ac.uk/discover/usa/entry-requirements/english-language-requirements/direct-entry-band-b/ · https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/how-to-apply/entry-requirements/law-national-aptitude-test-lnat/ · https://www.durham.ac.uk/business/courses/economics-l100/ · https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/courses/law-m101/ · https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/international/regional-pages/europe-/ · https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/international/regional-pages/latin-america-and-caribbean-/ · https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/international/regional-pages/africa--middle-east-/ · https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/international/regional-pages/south-east-asia/ · https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/international/regional-pages/east-asia-and-australasia/ · https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/international/entry-requirements/english-language-requirements/english-language-levels-required/ · https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/how-to-apply/entry-requirements/international-students/ · https://www.durham.ac.uk/discover/usa/entry-requirements/english-language-requirements/direct-entry-band-a/ · https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/international/entry-requirements/english-language-requirements/ · https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/how-to-apply/entry-requirements/mathematics/

Photos: Great Hall of University College, Durham Castle: photo Benjamin Smith, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons