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Economics, politics and sociology (Social sciences) offer rates at 43 UK universities, 2025 UCAS cycle
In the 2025 UCAS main scheme (per application), the median social sciences offer rate (often called the acceptance rate) across the 43 universities with data here (at least 20 applications each) was 86.5%; for applicants from outside the UK and EU it was 78.7%. G5 (all applicants): Oxford 11.7%, Cambridge 15.4%, Imperial 15.6%, LSE 15.6%, UCL 51.2%.
What is the economics, politics and sociology 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 14,815 applications | 14,815 | 7,585 | 51.2% | 8,120 | 4,740 | 58.4% | 2,160 |
| University of Manchester 13,180 applications | 13,180 | 8,865 | 67.3% | 5,590 | 4,250 | 76.0% | 1,435 |
| London School of Economics and Political Science G5 12,210 applications | 12,210 | 1,910 | 15.6% | 5,615 | 850 | 15.1% | 850 |
| King's College London 11,600 applications | 11,600 | 6,430 | 55.4% | 5,410 | 3,515 | 65.0% | 1,225 |
| University of Bristol 8,150 applications | 8,150 | 6,295 | 77.2% | 1,950 | 1,480 | 75.9% | 1,215 |
| University of Edinburgh 8,125 applications | 8,125 | 4,755 | 58.5% | 3,570 | 2,665 | 74.6% | 1,055 |
| University of Leeds 8,115 applications | 8,115 | 6,060 | 74.7% | 1,770 | 1,315 | 74.3% | 1,395 |
| University of Nottingham 7,870 applications | 7,870 | 6,975 | 88.6% | 765 | 565 | 73.9% | 1,270 |
| University of Warwick 6,990 applications | 6,990 | 6,045 | 86.5% | 2,395 | 1,965 | 82.0% | 1,475 |
| University of Birmingham 6,670 applications | 6,670 | 5,290 | 79.3% | 1,475 | 1,175 | 79.7% | 1,020 |
| University of Bath 6,595 applications | 6,595 | 4,425 | 67.1% | 865 | 680 | 78.6% | 850 |
| University of Exeter 6,380 applications | 6,380 | 5,925 | 92.9% | 825 | 715 | 86.7% | 1,290 |
| Queen Mary University of London 6,085 applications | 6,085 | 4,555 | 74.9% | 1,495 | 1,045 | 69.9% | 985 |
| Durham University 6,035 applications | 6,035 | 4,225 | 70.0% | 1,710 | 1,500 | 87.7% | 1,055 |
| University of Sheffield 5,520 applications | 5,520 | 4,870 | 88.2% | 910 | 770 | 84.6% | 720 |
| University of York 4,875 applications | 4,875 | 4,565 | 93.6% | 535 | 460 | 86.0% | 1,190 |
| Cardiff University 4,525 applications | 4,525 | 4,190 | 92.6% | 410 | 335 | 81.7% | 830 |
| University of Liverpool 4,380 applications | 4,380 | 3,990 | 91.1% | 395 | 285 | 72.2% | 985 |
| City St George's, University of London 4,230 applications | 4,230 | 3,530 | 83.5% | 625 | 440 | 70.4% | 1,370 |
| Loughborough University 3,945 applications | 3,945 | 3,355 | 85.0% | 270 | 215 | 79.6% | 640 |
| University of St Andrews 3,860 applications | 3,860 | 1,190 | 30.8% | 1,275 | 660 | 51.8% | 310 |
| University of Southampton 3,745 applications | 3,745 | 3,470 | 92.7% | 1,100 | 1,000 | 90.9% | 580 |
| Newcastle University 3,595 applications | 3,595 | 3,205 | 89.2% | 375 | 295 | 78.7% | 625 |
| Queen's University Belfast 3,550 applications | 3,550 | 2,770 | 78.0% | 200 | 160 | 80.0% | 610 |
| University of Cambridge G5 3,440 applications | 3,440 | 530 | 15.4% | 1,275 | 130 | 10.2% | 400 |
| University of Surrey 3,330 applications | 3,330 | 2,940 | 88.3% | 345 | 270 | 78.3% | 595 |
| Royal Holloway, University of London 3,215 applications | 3,215 | 2,925 | 91.0% | 360 | 305 | 84.7% | 620 |
| University of Leicester 3,065 applications | 3,065 | 2,875 | 93.8% | 275 | 230 | 83.6% | 790 |
| University of Sussex 2,910 applications | 2,910 | 2,610 | 89.7% | 605 | 480 | 79.3% | 605 |
| University of Glasgow 2,830 applications | 2,830 | 2,310 | 81.6% | 865 | 760 | 87.9% | 530 |
| University of Reading 2,720 applications | 2,720 | 2,485 | 91.4% | 375 | 325 | 86.7% | 505 |
| Lancaster University 2,650 applications | 2,650 | 2,400 | 90.6% | 380 | 315 | 82.9% | 460 |
| University of Essex 2,595 applications | 2,595 | 2,450 | 94.4% | 375 | 335 | 89.3% | 405 |
| University of Oxford G5 2,560 applications | 2,560 | 300 | 11.7% | 900 | 75 | 8.3% | 255 |
| University of Kent 2,095 applications | 2,095 | 1,810 | 86.4% | 235 | 190 | 80.9% | 365 |
| Imperial College London G5 2,090 applications | 2,090 | 325 | 15.6% | 1,350 | 160 | 11.9% | 155 |
| Swansea University 1,870 applications | 1,870 | 1,620 | 86.6% | 70 | 40 | 57.1% | 460 |
| Aston University 1,865 applications | 1,865 | 1,680 | 90.1% | 100 | 70 | 70.0% | 325 |
| University of Strathclyde 1,720 applications | 1,720 | 935 | 54.4% | 55 | 45 | 81.8% | 215 |
| University of East Anglia 1,655 applications | 1,655 | 1,435 | 86.7% | 180 | 135 | 75.0% | 300 |
| University of Aberdeen 1,525 applications | 1,525 | 1,395 | 91.5% | 150 | 130 | 86.7% | 285 |
| University of Dundee 985 applications | 985 | 910 | 92.4% | 65 | 40 | 61.5% | 150 |
| Heriot-Watt University 260 applications | 260 | 245 | 94.2% | 30 | 30 | 100.0% | 50 |
- 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 economics, politics and international relations, sociology, social policy, anthropology, criminology (examples, not a full list), and courses within a group can differ a lot.
- The all-applicants median covers the 43 universities in this table with at least 20 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, 'Economics, politics and sociology (Social sciences) offer rates at 43 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/social-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
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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 economics, politics and sociology acceptance rates
What is the acceptance rate (offer rate) for economics, politics and sociology at UK universities?
In the 2025 UCAS main scheme (per application), the median social sciences offer rate (often called the acceptance rate) across the 43 universities with data here (at least 20 applications each) was 86.5%; for applicants from outside the UK and EU it was 78.7%. G5 (all applicants): Oxford 11.7%, Cambridge 15.4%, Imperial 15.6%, LSE 15.6%, UCL 51.2%. 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 economics, politics and international relations, sociology, social policy, anthropology, criminology (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.