UCAS Undergraduate: when to apply

Some courses have different deadlines, and many are a long time in advance of the start of the course. Find out which deadline applies to you, and what you need to do by that deadline.

What needs to be done?

You'll need to leave enough time to complete your application, resolve any queries and make sure it reaches us by the deadlines: 

2024 entry

  • 16 October 2023 for 2024 entry at 18:00 (UK time) – any course at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, or for most courses in medicine, veterinary medicine/science, and dentistry. You can add choices with a different deadline later, but don’t forget you can only have five choices in total.  
  • 31 January 2024 for 2024 entry at 18:00 (UK time) – for the majority of courses. 

2025 entry

  • 30 April 2024 – 2025 entry courses will be shown in our search tool.
  • 14 May 2024 – you can start your undergraduate application for 2025 entry courses, but you cannot submit it to UCAS until 3 September 2024.
  • 15 October 2024 at 18:00 (UK time) – deadline for any course at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, or for most courses in medicine, veterinary medicine/science, and dentistry. You can add choices with a different deadline later, but don’t forget you can only have five choices in total.  
  • 29 January 2025 at 18:00 (UK time) – deadline for the majority of courses. 

After you find courses and you’re ready to apply, we’ll explain everything in more detail, but here’s a brief overview:

  1. Fill in your details, qualifications and course choices.
  2. Write a personal statement to demonstrate you’ll be a good student.
  3. Include your reference and pay your application fee.

Applying for an apprenticeship?

You can apply for as many apprenticeships as you like, on top of your university applications. It’s more like applying to a job – positions can start at any time of year and application deadlines differ between employers.

Use our apprenticeship search to find vacancies – next to each will be the closing date.  

Go to apprenticeship search

Other information

Independent applicants (not through a school)

If you're applying as an independent applicant (not through a school), we recommend you ask your referee to complete your reference well in advance of the deadline to avoid any delays.

Remember to look into student finance too. If you need a loan or financial support, you can apply to a student finance organisation.

Does your course start early between January and July?

A few courses start between January and July, rather than the more typical start dates of September/October.

  • This kind of variation in course start dates can affect deadlines, so if you’re interested in one of these when you search for courses, check the application details in the course listings or by contacting the university or college.
  • Please note, you can still add further choices with more typical start dates to your application later on, (as long as you haven't yet accepted any offers), but if you're interested in any courses with earlier start dates, make sure you don't miss any of the earlier deadlines.

Siaradwyr Cymraeg

Os ydych yn cyflwyno cais i ddarparwyr cwrs drwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg, gallwch wneud eich cais i gyd yn y Gymraeg.

  1. I gofrestru yn Gymraeg, pan fyddwch yn mynd i’r gwasanaeth Ymgeisio, (Apply), dewiswch ‘Cymraeg’.
  2. Pan fyddwch wedi mewngofnodi i’ch cais, gallwch newid yr iaith i Gymraeg neu Saesneg ar y dudalen Opsiynau.
  3. Mae’r testun help ar gael yn y Gymraeg yn Ymgeisio hefyd.
  4. Yn y gwasanaeth Ymgeisio, gallwch ddewis derbyn gohebiaeth gan ddarparwyr cyrsiau a gennym ni yn y Gymraeg.

Sut i ymgeisio

International students

Discover any information you might need to succeed in applying to UK institutions as an international student. Find advice on visas, English language skills, why you should study in the UK and what your qualifications will mean.

Applying as an international student

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