Universities That Accept 26 IB Points: UK Courses and Offers
By Michael Thompson · Education Specialist; 10 years teaching the IB at Bromsgrove School · Published 4 October 2026 · Updated 6 October 2026
780 undergraduate courses at 23 UK universities list 26 IB points as their standard offer, according to the UCAS entry requirements in our course directory, and a 26-point total meets the standard points offer for 12% of the 10,917 UK courses that publish one. The higher-level grades and subject requirements then decide the rest. Below, the courses are grouped by subject area and by university, with the Russell Group options at this level and what one or two points either way would change.
Key Takeaways
- 780 courses at 23 universities: list 26 IB points as their standard offer in our directory (2026 entry).
- 12% of all IB offers are at or below this level: so 26 points meets the published points total for only a small share of courses; the higher-level grades decide the rest.
- 1 Russell Group course: asks for 26 points, at University of Liverpool.
- Biggest subject areas: Business & Management (106), Computing (103) and Creative Arts & Design (57).
- Most often paired with BBC at A-level: 37% of these courses list that A-level offer alongside 26 points.
- 950 courses list exactly 28 points: led by Business & Management, Computing and Psychology.
In This Article
- What 26 IB points gets you in the UK
- Courses asking for 26 points, by subject area
- Russell Group courses at 26 points
- Medicine, dentistry, law and veterinary science at 26 points
- What 28 points unlocks, and what 24 points still gets you
- How to use this list
- How this list was built
- What to do next
1. What 26 IB points gets you in the UK
In our directory, 780 undergraduate courses at 23 UK universities list 26 IB points as their standard offer. The question behind a search for universities that accept 26 IB points has a long answer, so this page sorts it by subject area and by university, and shows what one or two more points would add.
For context, 12% of the 10,917 courses with a published IB offer ask for 26 points or fewer. Universities that ask for 26 IB points most often ask A-level applicants for BBC (37% of these courses), which is the clearest guide to how selective this band is.
Two things a points total does not tell you. First, most offers also name grades in specific higher-level subjects; 12% of the courses at 26 points list required subjects in their UCAS entry, and the course page shows the full requirement. Second, the IB points a university asks for is a different thing from the UCAS Tariff points your diploma converts to; universities that make IB offers quote the diploma total, not the tariff.
2. Courses asking for 26 points, by subject area
| Subject area | Courses | Universities | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business & Management | 106 | 12 | Arts and Festivals Management (De Montfort University); Risk Management (Glasgow Caledonian University); Business Management (Kingston University) |
| Computing | 103 | 11 | Computer Arts (Abertay University); Cyber Security (De Montfort University); Computing (Glasgow Caledonian University) |
| Creative Arts & Design | 57 | 8 | Commercial Dance (City St George's, University of London); Fine Art (De Montfort University); Fine Art (Liverpool Hope University) |
| Media & Communication | 40 | 10 | Fashion Communication and Styling (De Montfort University); Multimedia Journalism (Glasgow Caledonian University); Digital Media Technology (Kingston University) |
| Nursing & Health | 39 | 11 | Nursing (University of Liverpool); Pharmaceutical and Cosmetic Science (De Montfort University); Podiatry (Glasgow Caledonian University) |
| Education | 37 | 7 | Primary Education (QTS) (Kingston University); Education (Liverpool Hope University); Early Years and Childhood Studies (Manchester Metropolitan University) |
| Law | 36 | 6 | Criminology and Criminal Justice (Kingston University); Law (Liverpool Hope University); Criminology and Sociology (Manchester Metropolitan University) |
| Engineering | 31 | 9 | Mechanical Engineering (De Montfort University); Mechanical Engineering (Glasgow Caledonian University); Civil Engineering (Kingston University) |
| Psychology | 30 | 6 | Applied Psychology (Glasgow Caledonian University); Criminology and Forensic Psychology (Kingston University); Psychology (Liverpool Hope University) |
| Geography & Environment | 30 | 5 | Geography (Kingston University); Geography (Liverpool Hope University); Geography (Manchester Metropolitan University) |
| Performing Arts | 28 | 5 | Professional Dance and Musical Theatre (City St George's, University of London); Dance (De Montfort University); Music (Liverpool Hope University) |
| Politics & International Relations | 28 | 5 | Politics and International Relations (De Montfort University); Music and Politics (Liverpool Hope University); Politics (Manchester Metropolitan University) |
| English & Literature | 27 | 6 | English Literature (De Montfort University); English Literature (Liverpool Hope University); English (Manchester Metropolitan University) |
| Architecture & Building | 23 | 9 | Architecture (Cardiff Metropolitan University); Interior Design (De Montfort University); Quantity Surveying (Glasgow Caledonian University) |
| History & Archaeology | 23 | 4 | History (De Montfort University); History (Liverpool Hope University); History (Manchester Metropolitan University) |
| Sociology & Social Sciences | 23 | 7 | Social Work (Glasgow Caledonian University); Sociology (Liverpool Hope University); Sociology (Manchester Metropolitan University) |
The remaining 119 courses are spread across Philosophy & Theology, Economics, Languages & Linguistics, Biological Sciences, Other, Medicine & Dentistry, Mathematics, Sport Science, Agriculture, Physical Sciences and Veterinary.
Every course links to its page in the directory, which carries the full entry requirement, the A-level equivalent and the university's own course page.
3. Russell Group courses at 26 points
1 of the courses at 26 points is at a Russell Group university: University of Liverpool.
| University | Course | A-level offer listed |
|---|---|---|
| University of Liverpool | Nursing | BBC |
For the full picture across all 24 universities, including the lowest and highest IB offers each one makes, see Russell Group IB requirements by university.
4. Medicine, dentistry, law and veterinary science at 26 points
Medicine and dentistry: no medicine or dental surgery degree in the directory lists 26 points as its standard offer; the lowest medicine and dentistry offers start at 30 points.
Law: 16 degrees with "law" in the title at 26 points, including Law (Liverpool Hope University), Law with Irish (Ulster University) and Law (University of Brighton).
Veterinary science: no veterinary medicine or science degree in the directory lists 26 points as its standard offer; the lowest veterinary science offers start at 32 points.
These subjects usually add admissions tests, interviews and specific higher-level sciences on top of the points total, so the points figure is a floor rather than the whole requirement.
5. What 28 points unlocks, and what 24 points still gets you
Two more points, at 28 points, would add 950 courses at 37 universities, led by Business & Management (168), Computing (81) and Psychology (55).
Two points lower, at 24 points, 388 courses at 26 universities list that as their standard offer, so a result slightly below target still leaves a wide choice.
Because an offer is a minimum, the courses at every lower band are open to you as well: 12% of all courses with an IB offer ask for 26 points or fewer.
6. How to use this list
- Read the whole offer, not the total. Open the course page and check the higher-level grades and required subjects before you shortlist; a 36-point course that wants 6 in HL Mathematics is a different proposition from one that does not.
- Build a spread. Five UCAS choices work best as a mix of courses at your predicted total, a couple above it and at least one comfortably below.
- Check contextual offers. Many universities make lower offers to eligible applicants, typically one to three points below the standard figure.
- Studying outside the UK? IB students applying to UK universities covers predicted grades, how offers are expressed and what universities ask for on top of the points total.
- Convert carefully. If a university quotes UCAS Tariff points instead of an IB total, use the UCAS Tariff calculator rather than a rule of thumb.
7. How this list was built
Entry requirements come from the UCAS course listings for 2026 entry held in the MyRevisionAgent course directory (snapshot June 2026): 10,917 undergraduate degree courses at 119 UK universities that list an IB points offer. Delivery variants of the same course (placement year, year abroad) are counted once, and foundation-year routes are left out because their offers are for a preparatory year rather than the degree. The figure shown is the IB points total each university lists as its standard offer; where a listing gives a range, such as a contextual offer alongside the standard one, the higher figure is used, because it is the one that meets the offer in every case. Most also require specific grades at higher level, which the course page shows. Offers change between cycles and contextual offers can be lower, so confirm the current requirement with the university before you apply.
8. What to do next
Shortlist five to eight courses from the tables above, open each course page and note the higher-level requirements beside the points total. Then check your predicted grades against them: if you are one or two points short on a course you want, look at its contextual offer and at the 24-point list; if you are ahead, use the 28-point list to see what else is open to you.
FAQ
Is 26 IB points a good score for UK universities?
It meets the standard points offer for 12% of the 10,917 UK courses in our directory that publish an IB requirement, and 780 courses list exactly 26 points as their offer, most often alongside an A-level offer of BBC.
What is 26 IB points in A-levels?
Universities that ask for 26 IB points most often ask A-level applicants for BBC (37% of courses at this level), though the pairing varies by course. That is a university's judgement of equivalence; the UCAS Tariff conversion is a separate calculation, explained in our IB to UCAS points guide.
Can I get into medicine with 26 IB points?
No medicine or dentistry course in our directory lists 26 points as its standard offer; the lowest medicine and dentistry offers start at 30 points, and every one also requires an admissions test, specific higher-level sciences and an interview.
Which Russell Group universities accept 26 IB points?
1 Russell Group university lists a course at 26 points in our directory: University of Liverpool.
Do Oxford and Cambridge accept 26 IB points?
The lowest IB offer in our directory at Oxford is 38 points, so 26 points is below Oxford's published offers. Cambridge is not in these tables because its UCAS listings in our directory carry no current IB figure; its typical IB offer is 40-42 points with 776 at higher level, so check the course page.
References
- Calculate your UCAS Tariff points - UCAS - https://www.ucas.com/applying/before-you-apply/what-and-where-to-study/entry-requirements/calculate-your-ucas-tariff-points