Universities That Accept 36 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

1,042 undergraduate courses at 37 UK universities list 36 IB points as their standard offer, according to the UCAS entry requirements in our course directory, and a 36-point total meets the standard points offer for 89% 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

• 1,042 courses at 37 universities: list 36 IB points as their standard offer in our directory (2026 entry).
• 89% of all IB offers are at or below this level: so 36 points meets the published points total for most courses; the higher-level grades decide the rest.
• 570 Russell Group courses: at 18 universities ask for 36 points, led by University of Edinburgh (79), UCL (67) and University of Manchester (53).
• Biggest subject areas: Languages & Linguistics (218), History & Archaeology (107) and Engineering (82).
• Most often paired with AAA at A-level: 46% of these courses list that A-level offer alongside 36 points.
• 791 courses list exactly 38 points: led by Languages & Linguistics, History & Archaeology and Physical Sciences.

In This Article

1. What 36 IB points gets you in the UK
2. Courses asking for 36 points, by subject area
3. Russell Group courses at 36 points
4. Medicine, dentistry, law and veterinary science at 36 points
5. What 38 points unlocks, and what 34 points still gets you
6. How to use this list
7. How this list was built
8. What to do next

1. What 36 IB points gets you in the UK

In our directory, 1,042 undergraduate courses at 37 UK universities list 36 IB points as their standard offer. The question behind a search for universities that accept 36 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, 89% of the 10,917 courses with a published IB offer ask for 36 points or fewer. Universities that ask for 36 IB points most often ask A-level applicants for AAA (46% 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; 44% of the courses at 36 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 36 points, by subject area

The remaining 86 courses are spread across English & Literature, Geography & Environment, Nursing & Health, Architecture & Building, Media & Communication, Creative Arts & Design, Sport Science, Performing Arts and Education.

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 36 points

570 of the courses at 36 points are at Russell Group universities: UCL, King's College London, University of Edinburgh, University of Manchester, University of Bristol, University of Warwick, University of Leeds, University of Southampton, University of Sheffield, Durham University, University of Nottingham, Queen Mary University of London, Newcastle University, University of Liverpool, University of Exeter, University of York, Cardiff University and Queen's University Belfast. The table shows up to 25 of them, at most three per university, ordered by the university's position in the directory's ranking; each university's directory page lists the rest.

The other 545 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 36 points

Medicine and dentistry: 17 courses at 36 points, including Medicine (University of Manchester), Dentistry - BDS entry (University of Bristol), Medicine (University of Southampton) and Dental Surgery (University of Sheffield).

Law: 38 degrees with "law" in the title at 36 points, including Politics, Philosophy and Law (PPL) (University of Warwick), Law (University of Southampton), Law (University of Sheffield) and Law (Queen Mary University of London).

Veterinary science: 2 courses at 36 points, including Veterinary Science (University of Bristol) and Veterinary Science (University of Liverpool).

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 38 points unlocks, and what 34 points still gets you

Two more points, at 38 points, would add 791 courses at 17 universities, led by Languages & Linguistics (169), History & Archaeology (79) and Physical Sciences (63).

Two points lower, at 34 points, 1,232 courses at 41 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: 89% of all courses with an IB offer ask for 36 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 34-point list; if you are ahead, use the 38-point list to see what else is open to you.

FAQ

Is 36 IB points a good score for UK universities?

It meets the standard points offer for 89% of the 10,917 UK courses in our directory that publish an IB requirement, and 1,042 courses list exactly 36 points as their offer, most often alongside an A-level offer of AAA.

What is 36 IB points in A-levels?

Universities that ask for 36 IB points most often ask A-level applicants for AAA (46% 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 36 IB points?

17 medicine or dentistry courses in our directory list 36 points as the standard offer, including Medicine at University of Manchester, Dentistry - BDS entry at University of Bristol and Medicine at University of Southampton; all also require an admissions test, specific higher-level sciences and an interview.

Which Russell Group universities accept 36 IB points?

18 Russell Group universities list at least one course at 36 points in our directory: UCL, King's College London, University of Edinburgh, University of Manchester, University of Bristol, University of Warwick, University of Leeds, University of Southampton, University of Sheffield, Durham University, University of Nottingham, Queen Mary University of London, Newcastle University, University of Liverpool, University of Exeter, University of York, Cardiff University and Queen's University Belfast.

Do Oxford and Cambridge accept 36 IB points?

The lowest IB offer in our directory at Oxford is 38 points, so 36 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