← Admissions statistics by university
Physics and chemistry (Physical sciences) offer rates at 41 UK universities, 2025 UCAS cycle
In the 2025 UCAS main scheme (per application), the median physical sciences offer rate (often called the acceptance rate) across the 40 universities with data here (at least 20 applications each) was 92.4%; for applicants from outside the UK and EU it was 80.0% (the 39 with at least 20 such applications). G5 (all applicants): Oxford 14.7%, Cambridge 25.6%, Imperial 34.9%, UCL 62.3%.
What is the physics and chemistry acceptance rate (offer rate) at each university?
Sorted by applications, largest first; click a header to re-sort. Brackets mean fewer than 20 applications: the rate is unstable and left out of the sorting and the median. University names link to all of that university's data.
| University | Offers | Outside UK and EU: applications | Outside UK and EU: offers | Accepted applicants (people) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University College London G5 5,410 applications | 5,410 | 3,370 | 62.3% | 3,100 | 1,890 | 61.0% | 860 |
| Imperial College London G5 4,025 applications | 4,025 | 1,405 | 34.9% | 2,090 | 535 | 25.6% | 530 |
| University of Edinburgh 3,870 applications | 3,870 | 2,640 | 68.2% | 1,555 | 1,250 | 80.4% | 485 |
| University of Manchester 3,720 applications | 3,720 | 3,070 | 82.5% | 1,610 | 1,365 | 84.8% | 540 |
| Durham University 3,485 applications | 3,485 | 3,215 | 92.3% | 585 | 505 | 86.3% | 735 |
| University of Bristol 3,185 applications | 3,185 | 2,960 | 92.9% | 660 | 565 | 85.6% | 480 |
| University of Bath 3,010 applications | 3,010 | 2,725 | 90.5% | 240 | 180 | 75.0% | 360 |
| King's College London 2,830 applications | 2,830 | 2,310 | 81.6% | 1,330 | 1,120 | 84.2% | 445 |
| University of Oxford G5 2,820 applications | 2,820 | 415 | 14.7% | 870 | 115 | 13.2% | 355 |
| University of Warwick 2,570 applications | 2,570 | 2,410 | 93.8% | 640 | 575 | 89.8% | 480 |
| University of Nottingham 2,240 applications | 2,240 | 1,970 | 87.9% | 140 | 95 | 67.9% | 435 |
| University of Leeds 1,925 applications | 1,925 | 1,560 | 81.0% | 270 | 225 | 83.3% | 315 |
| University of Birmingham 1,885 applications | 1,885 | 1,695 | 89.9% | 365 | 295 | 80.8% | 335 |
| University of York 1,880 applications | 1,880 | 1,795 | 95.5% | 155 | 120 | 77.4% | 465 |
| University of Glasgow 1,790 applications | 1,790 | 1,535 | 85.8% | 410 | 360 | 87.8% | 310 |
| Cardiff University 1,705 applications | 1,705 | 1,670 | 97.9% | 145 | 140 | 96.6% | 275 |
| University of Southampton 1,545 applications | 1,545 | 1,440 | 93.2% | 370 | 350 | 94.6% | 215 |
| University of Liverpool 1,520 applications | 1,520 | 1,420 | 93.4% | 125 | 90 | 72.0% | 315 |
| University of Sheffield 1,515 applications | 1,515 | 1,415 | 93.4% | 140 | 115 | 82.1% | 205 |
| University of St Andrews 1,515 applications | 1,515 | 840 | 55.4% | 290 | 225 | 77.6% | 210 |
| University of Exeter 1,220 applications | 1,220 | 1,150 | 94.3% | 85 | 70 | 82.4% | 200 |
| University of Kent 1,210 applications | 1,210 | 1,120 | 92.6% | 95 | 80 | 84.2% | 295 |
| Loughborough University 1,155 applications | 1,155 | 1,055 | 91.3% | 55 | 35 | 63.6% | 175 |
| Lancaster University 1,135 applications | 1,135 | 1,090 | 96.0% | 75 | 60 | 80.0% | 280 |
| University of Surrey 1,095 applications | 1,095 | 930 | 84.9% | 90 | 70 | 77.8% | 155 |
| Queen Mary University of London 1,080 applications | 1,080 | 905 | 83.8% | 130 | 100 | 76.9% | 170 |
| University of Cambridge G5 1,055 applications | 1,055 | 270 | 25.6% | 455 | 80 | 17.6% | 225 |
| University of Leicester 1,010 applications | 1,010 | 935 | 92.6% | 75 | 60 | 80.0% | 235 |
| Newcastle University 955 applications | 955 | 905 | 94.8% | 75 | 60 | 80.0% | 195 |
| University of Strathclyde 840 applications | 840 | 780 | 92.9% | 25 | 20 | 80.0% | 175 |
| Queen's University Belfast 810 applications | 810 | 755 | 93.2% | 40 | 35 | 87.5% | 135 |
| University of Aberdeen 580 applications | 580 | 540 | 93.1% | 70 | 55 | 78.6% | 80 |
| Heriot-Watt University 505 applications | 505 | 480 | 95.0% | 25 | 25 | 100.0% | 165 |
| Swansea University 485 applications | 485 | 450 | 92.8% | 30 | 20 | 66.7% | 145 |
| City St George's, University of London 455 applications | 455 | 360 | 79.1% | 70 | 55 | 78.6% | 100 |
| University of Sussex 400 applications | 400 | 360 | 90.0% | 65 | 50 | 76.9% | 60 |
| University of East Anglia 350 applications | 350 | 330 | 94.3% | 35 | 30 | 85.7% | 65 |
| University of Reading 345 applications | 345 | 320 | 92.8% | 45 | 40 | 88.9% | 65 |
| Royal Holloway, University of London 295 applications | 295 | 250 | 84.7% | 30 | 20 | 66.7% | 45 |
| University of Dundee 245 applications | 245 | 235 | 95.9% | 15 | 15 | (100.0%) | 30 |
| University of Essex 5 applications | 5 | 5 | (100.0%) | — | — | — | 0 |
- UCAS rounds every count to the nearest 5 (a 0 may be 1 or 2). The rates here are worked out from the rounded counts, so they can differ from UCAS's own rates, most for small numbers.
- Offer rate = offers ÷ applications, main scheme only (by the 30 June deadline). Applications count choices, up to five per person; accepted applicants count people, including those placed through Clearing, so they are shown as a count and not divided by applications.
- “Outside the UK and EU” goes by domicile (where the applicant normally lives), not nationality or fee status. UCAS does not split this table by country, so it does not mean Chinese applicants.
- This is a subject group (HECoS CAH level 1), not a single course. It includes physics, astronomy, chemistry, forensic science (examples, not a full list), and courses within a group can differ a lot.
- The all-applicants median covers the 40 universities in this table with at least 20 applications, and the outside-UK-and-EU median the 39 of them with at least 20 such applications (43 on this site in all), not the whole UK. A low offer rate means strong competition, not a better or worse course; read it with the number of applications.
Sources and definitions
- UCAS — Undergraduate end of cycle data resources 2025, provider-level (main scheme applicants, applications, offers and acceptances by provider, domicile and HECoS subject group) · accessed 2026-11-03
Citation and reuse
To cite these figures, copy the line below:
Wisesprout, 'Physics and chemistry (Physical sciences) offer rates at 41 UK universities, 2025 UCAS cycle', compiled from UCAS end-of-cycle 2025 data, accessed 2026-11-03, https://wisesprout.co.uk/en/admissions-data/subject/physical-sciences
You are free to quote or republish this page with attribution to Wisesprout and a link to this page. Commercial reuse or bulk redistribution of the compiled tables needs our permission first. The underlying figures are UCAS end-of-cycle data. Contact us
Other subject groups: Business and management · Economics, politics and sociology · Engineering · Nursing, pharmacy and allied health · Law · Computer science · Medicine and dentistry · Biology and sport science · History and philosophy · Psychology · Maths and statistics · English and modern languages · Art, design, music and drama · Geography and environmental science · Architecture and planning · Media and journalism · Education and teaching · Combined and general degrees · Veterinary medicine · Agriculture and food
For each university's course-level and group-level figures, see the admissions statistics overview; for which A-levels each degree asks for, see A-levels by degree.
Check your grades in the Course Finder →Questions about physics and chemistry acceptance rates
What is the acceptance rate (offer rate) for physics and chemistry at UK universities?
In the 2025 UCAS main scheme (per application), the median physical sciences offer rate (often called the acceptance rate) across the 40 universities with data here (at least 20 applications each) was 92.4%; for applicants from outside the UK and EU it was 80.0% (the 39 with at least 20 such applications). G5 (all applicants): Oxford 14.7%, Cambridge 25.6%, Imperial 34.9%, UCL 62.3%. In UK data "acceptance rate" can also mean the admit rate (students placed ÷ applications); see the glossary.
Which courses does this subject group cover?
UCAS publishes these figures by subject group (HECoS CAH level 1), not by course. This group includes physics, astronomy, chemistry, forensic science (examples, not a full list). Courses within a group can differ a lot, so check the university's own page for a particular course.
Are there figures for Chinese applicants?
Not in this table. UCAS splits these figures by domicile (UK, EU, outside the UK and EU), not by country or nationality, so "outside the UK and EU" does not mean Chinese applicants. UK-wide (UCAS, all universities): in the 2025 UCAS cycle, applicants domiciled in mainland China made 155,130 main-scheme applications, offer rate 69.3%; Hong Kong SAR 24,430, 66.1%. Seven universities publish their own course- or department-level figures; see the admissions statistics overview.