Universities That Accept 38 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

791 undergraduate courses at 17 UK universities list 38 IB points as their standard offer, according to the UCAS entry requirements in our course directory, and a 38-point total meets the standard points offer for 98% 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

• 791 courses at 17 universities: list 38 IB points as their standard offer in our directory (2026 entry).
• 98% of all IB offers are at or below this level: so 38 points meets the published points total for almost every course with a published offer; the higher-level grades decide the rest.
• 452 Russell Group courses: at 13 universities ask for 38 points, led by University of Oxford (166), University of Southampton (55) and UCL (54).
• Biggest subject areas: Languages & Linguistics (169), History & Archaeology (79) and Physical Sciences (63).
• Usually paired with AAA at A-level: 71% of these courses list that A-level offer alongside 38 points.
• 98 courses list 40 points or more: led by Law, Business & Management and Computing.

In This Article

1. What 38 IB points gets you in the UK
2. Courses asking for 38 points, by subject area
3. Russell Group courses at 38 points
4. Medicine, dentistry, law and veterinary science at 38 points
5. What 40 points unlocks, and what 36 points still gets you
6. How to use this list
7. How this list was built
8. What to do next

1. What 38 IB points gets you in the UK

In our directory, 791 undergraduate courses at 17 UK universities list 38 IB points as their standard offer. The question behind a search for universities that accept 38 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, 98% of the 10,917 courses with a published IB offer ask for 38 points or fewer. Universities that ask for 38 IB points most often ask A-level applicants for AAA (71% 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; 51% of the courses at 38 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 38 points, by subject area

The remaining 16 courses are spread across Sociology & Social Sciences, Other, Architecture & Building, Performing Arts and Creative Arts & Design.

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 38 points

452 of the courses at 38 points are at Russell Group universities: Imperial College London, University of Oxford, UCL, King's College London, University of Edinburgh, University of Manchester, University of Bristol, LSE, University of Warwick, University of Southampton, University of Sheffield, Durham University and University of Exeter. 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 427 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 38 points

Medicine and dentistry: 10 courses at 38 points, including Medicine (Imperial College London), Medicine (King's College London), Medicine (University of Edinburgh) and Medicine (6 years) (University of St Andrews).

Law: 18 degrees with "law" in the title at 38 points, including Law (University of Oxford), Law (King's College London), Law (University of Bristol) and Law (University of Warwick).

Veterinary science: 1 course at 38 points: Veterinary Medicine (University of Edinburgh).

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 40 points unlocks, and what 36 points still gets you

Two more points, at 40 or more points, would add 98 courses at 5 universities, led by Law (16), Business & Management (15) and Computing (14).

Two points lower, at 36 points, 1,042 courses at 37 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: 98% of all courses with an IB offer ask for 38 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 36-point list; if you are ahead, use the 40-plus list to see what else is open to you.

FAQ

Is 38 IB points a good score for UK universities?

It meets the standard points offer for 98% of the 10,917 UK courses in our directory that publish an IB requirement, and 791 courses list exactly 38 points as their offer, most often alongside an A-level offer of AAA.

What is 38 IB points in A-levels?

Universities that ask for 38 IB points most often ask A-level applicants for AAA (71% 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 38 IB points?

10 medicine or dentistry courses in our directory list 38 points as the standard offer, including Medicine at Imperial College London, Medicine at King's College London and Medicine at University of Edinburgh; all also require an admissions test, specific higher-level sciences and an interview.

Which Russell Group universities accept 38 IB points?

13 Russell Group universities list at least one course at 38 points in our directory: Imperial College London, University of Oxford, UCL, King's College London, University of Edinburgh, University of Manchester, University of Bristol, LSE, University of Warwick, University of Southampton, University of Sheffield, Durham University and University of Exeter.

Do Oxford and Cambridge accept 38 IB points?

The lowest IB offer in our directory at Oxford is 38 points, so 38 points meets the points total for some Oxford courses, all of which also require specific higher-level grades and an interview, and most also set an admissions test. 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