Universities That Accept 28 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
950 undergraduate courses at 37 UK universities list 28 IB points as their standard offer, according to the UCAS entry requirements in our course directory, and a 28-point total meets the standard points offer for 24% 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
- 950 courses at 37 universities: list 28 IB points as their standard offer in our directory (2026 entry).
- 24% of all IB offers are at or below this level: so 28 points meets the published points total for a minority of courses; the higher-level grades decide the rest.
- 12 Russell Group courses: at 2 universities ask for 28 points, led by University of Southampton (8) and University of Nottingham (4).
- Biggest subject areas: Business & Management (168), Computing (81) and Psychology (55).
- Most often paired with BBB at A-level: 19% of these courses list that A-level offer alongside 28 points.
- 1,167 courses list exactly 30 points: led by History & Archaeology, Languages & Linguistics and Nursing & Health.
In This Article
- What 28 IB points gets you in the UK
- Courses asking for 28 points, by subject area
- Russell Group courses at 28 points
- Medicine, dentistry, law and veterinary science at 28 points
- What 30 points unlocks, and what 26 points still gets you
- How to use this list
- How this list was built
- What to do next
1. What 28 IB points gets you in the UK
In our directory, 950 undergraduate courses at 37 UK universities list 28 IB points as their standard offer. The question behind a search for universities that accept 28 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, 24% of the 10,917 courses with a published IB offer ask for 28 points or fewer. Universities that ask for 28 IB points most often ask A-level applicants for BBB (19% 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; 23% of the courses at 28 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 28 points, by subject area
| Subject area | Courses | Universities | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business & Management | 168 | 22 | Fashion Marketing with Management (University of Southampton); Marketing (Birmingham City University); Marketing (Coventry University) |
| Computing | 81 | 18 | Creative Computing (University of Southampton); Computer Science (Heriot-Watt University); Game Art (Birmingham City University) |
| Psychology | 55 | 15 | Psychology (Birmingham City University); Psychology (Coventry University); Psychology (De Montfort University) |
| Nursing & Health | 52 | 23 | Nursing (Adult) (University of Southampton); Nursing (Adult) (University of Nottingham); Nursing (Adult) (Aberystwyth University) |
| Law | 52 | 13 | Law (Birmingham City University); Criminology (Edinburgh Napier University); LLB Law (London Metropolitan University) |
| Politics & International Relations | 42 | 9 | International Relations (London Metropolitan University); Politics and International Relations (St Mary's University, Twickenham); Global Affairs, Politics and International Relations (University of Chester) |
| Mathematics | 41 | 9 | Mathematics (Heriot-Watt University); Data Science (Edinburgh Napier University); Mathematics (London Metropolitan University) |
| Media & Communication | 41 | 11 | Filmmaking (Birmingham City University); Media and Communication (Edinburgh Napier University); Journalism (London Metropolitan University) |
| Biological Sciences | 37 | 12 | Biochemistry (with integrated year in industry) (Aberystwyth University); Human Biosciences (Birmingham City University); Applied Biosciences (Coventry University) |
| Creative Arts & Design | 31 | 10 | Fine Art (University of Southampton); Fine Art (Birmingham City University); Photography (Coventry University) |
| Engineering | 31 | 15 | Architectural Engineering (Heriot-Watt University); Civil Engineering (Birmingham City University); General Engineering (Canterbury Christ Church University) |
| Economics | 30 | 10 | Economics (Birmingham City University); Economics (Coventry University); Economics (London Metropolitan University) |
| History & Archaeology | 29 | 9 | Archaeology (University of Nottingham); History (St Mary's University, Twickenham); History (University of Chester) |
| Geography & Environment | 27 | 6 | Gemmology and Jewellery Studies (Birmingham City University); Environmental Management and Sustainability (Harper Adams University); Geography (University of Chester) |
| English & Literature | 26 | 10 | Creative Writing (Birmingham City University); English (City St George's, University of London); Creative Writing and English Literature (London Metropolitan University) |
| Education | 25 | 12 | Primary Education with QTS (Birmingham City University); Primary Education and Teaching Studies (Coventry University); Primary and Early Years Education with Qualified Teacher Status (School Based) (Haybridge School Centred Initial Teacher Training) |
The remaining 182 courses are spread across Performing Arts, Sport Science, Architecture & Building, Other, Sociology & Social Sciences, Languages & Linguistics, Physical Sciences, Philosophy & Theology, Medicine & Dentistry, Agriculture 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 28 points
12 of the courses at 28 points are at Russell Group universities: University of Southampton and University of Nottingham.
| University | Course | A-level offer listed |
|---|---|---|
| University of Southampton | Fine Art | BBC |
| University of Southampton | Fashion Design | BBC |
| University of Southampton | Nursing (Adult) | BBC |
| University of Nottingham | Archaeology | BBB |
| University of Nottingham | Biotechnology | BBB - BBC |
| University of Nottingham | Animal Science | BBB - BBC |
The other 6 Russell Group courses at this level are on each university's directory page.
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 28 points
Medicine and dentistry: no medicine or dental surgery degree in the directory lists 28 points as its standard offer; the lowest medicine and dentistry offers start at 30 points.
Law: 25 degrees with "law" in the title at 28 points, including Law (Birmingham City University), LLB Law (London Metropolitan University), Law (Robert Gordon University) and Law LLB with Criminology (St Mary's University, Twickenham).
Veterinary science: no veterinary medicine or science degree in the directory lists 28 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 30 points unlocks, and what 26 points still gets you
Two more points, at 30 points, would add 1,167 courses at 49 universities, led by History & Archaeology (134), Languages & Linguistics (99) and Nursing & Health (92).
Two points lower, at 26 points, 780 courses at 23 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: 24% of all courses with an IB offer ask for 28 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 26-point list; if you are ahead, use the 30-point list to see what else is open to you.
FAQ
Is 28 IB points a good score for UK universities?
It meets the standard points offer for 24% of the 10,917 UK courses in our directory that publish an IB requirement, and 950 courses list exactly 28 points as their offer, most often alongside an A-level offer of BBB.
What is 28 IB points in A-levels?
Universities that ask for 28 IB points most often ask A-level applicants for BBB (19% 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 28 IB points?
No medicine or dentistry course in our directory lists 28 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 28 IB points?
2 Russell Group universities list at least one course at 28 points in our directory: University of Southampton and University of Nottingham.
Do Oxford and Cambridge accept 28 IB points?
The lowest IB offer in our directory at Oxford is 38 points, so 28 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