We believe that talented students should have a fair chance to join the University, regardless of their background. That’s why we have a contextual admissions policy – a process where we review UCAS applications in the context of personal circumstances to better understand a student’s background, achievements and potential to succeed at university.
How does it work?
You don't have to apply for contextual admissions – we get all the information we need directly from your UCAS form.
Contextual admissions eligibility for the 2026 cycle
We look at whether you:
- live in an area of disadvantage or with low progression into higher education (UK students under the age of 21);
- took your GCSEs/A-level equivalent at a school or college that has performed below the national average over multiple years (UK students under the age of 21);
- have been in care in the UK for more than three months;
- have refugee status granted by the UK government, including those who’ve been issued a visa under one of the Ukraine schemes (such as Homes for Ukraine, Ukraine Family Scheme or Ukraine Extension Scheme).
Contextual admissions eligibility for the 2027 cycle
We'll have a new contextual admissions policy in place for the 2027 cycle which allows us to expand the number of applicants our policy can support.
Alongside the existing 2026 cycle eligibility criteria, we'll also look at whether you:
- were eligible for free school meals during your secondary education (England, Northern Ireland and Wales);
- are a young adult carer (under the age of 25);
- are in the UK as an asylum seeker or have humanitarian protection.
If you’ve faced challenging circumstances or have a disability or medical condition, this would not fall under contextual admissions. However, we’re still here to support you and can provide more information on how to apply and guide you to our Disability Advisory and Support Service.
Which criteria will apply to me
The data and criteria used are updated for each application ‘cycle’. This means you’ll be assessed using the criteria for the cycle you apply in. This may be different to the year of entry you're applying for. You can check which cycle you’re applying for by logging in to your UCAS Hub and checking the year.
You can start a 2027 cycle application now, but won’t be able to submit it until 1 September 2026.
Am I eligible?
Use our eligibility tool to see whether you could be eligible for a contextual offer or any additional consideration.
How you can benefit from contextual admissions
Based on the information provided, we may award you a WP, WP+ or WP++ flag and take that into consideration when we review your application. We use these flags in the following ways:
If you're invited to an interview, we'll take into account that you may have had fewer opportunities to prepare and may not have had access to interview coaching, practice and guidance.
Interviewers will be made aware of this.
Look at our 'Travel costs to the University campus' section below as we can cover the cost of bus, train or coach travel to our interviews and visit days for certain applicants.
When reading your personal statement, we’ll consider that you may not have had the same access to extracurricular activities or work experience.
If your predicted grades for certain courses are lower than the minimum entry criteria, we may still make you an offer because we understand that predicted grades don’t always accurately show your full academic potential.
This is called an aspirational offer, for example, if the entry requirements for your course are ABB, but your predicted grades are BBB, we may still offer you a place with the original offer of ABB.
If your predicted grades are within two grades of our minimum entry criteria, you might receive a reduced offer.
This is only applicable if you qualify for a Widening Participation (WP) Plus or WP Plus PLUS flag, and:
- Your qualifications and subjects meet our published entry requirements. For example, if a course requires Chemistry and Maths, you must take both subjects. Some courses may also require specific grades in particular subjects.
- Your course has standard entry requirements of ABB or higher.
- You complete any additional selection requirements, such as an interview or aptitude test (UCAT if studying Medicine or Dentistry).
Use our eligibility tool to check your eligibility and see what benefits you're entitled to:
- The eligibility tool for the 2026 cycle.
- The eligibility tool for the 2027 cycle will be available soon.
If you meet our WP Plus criteria, the contextual offer is usually one grade lower than the standard entry requirements.
If you meet our WP Plus PLUS criteria, the contextual offer is usually two grades lower than the standard entry requirements.
Please note that contextual offers do not currently apply to T-Level qualifications.
You can use our course finder to look at the specific entry criteria for each course.
Certain courses will offer lower GCSE requirements for WP Plus and WP Plus PLUS applicants.
This will be clearly stated on the individual course profile for participating courses.
If you’ve received an offer but don’t meet the conditions, we may still be able to offer you a place. We’d also try to identify suitable other courses and offer places where possible.
Certain courses may also offer lower entry requirements for WP-flagged applicants during clearing.
We understand that the cost of travel to campus can be a barrier to taking part in interviews and visit days.
We’ll offer to pay your bus, train or coach travel to attend any visit which forms part of the assessment process.
You're eligible for this support if you meet either of the following:
- receive our WP plus or WP plus PLUS flag (including if you’re care experienced or have refugee status);
- have successfully completed the Manchester Access Programme.
If so, you'll receive information about how to request this as part of your invitation to campus.
If you don't meet the criteria, but you face significant financial barriers in travelling to campus, we encourage you to let your course admissions team know and we'll look at support on a case-by-case basis.