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Jun 04, 2024
Written By Billy Sexton
Law Degree Requirements
Jun 04, 2024
Written By Billy Sexton
Law degree requirements vary by university understandably but competition for places is fierce at any university. We’ll outline what you need to have in terms of academic qualifications for studying law at Oxbridge, a Russell Group university or a Guardian top 20 university for law.
You want to go to university? Yes.
You want to study law? Yes.
Know what you need to get into university? … Not sure.
Read on to find out the entry requirements for an LLB in the UK.
Academic grades
Unlike the training contract hunt, where anything less than a 2.1 or first class degree is unlikely to send you on your way to becoming a fully qualified solicitor, there’s no blanket grade requirement for getting into university to study law. Therefore, we decided to list the grades you need for all the top universities – as the wise Kanye West once said “reach for the stars so if you fall you land on the clouds.”
Oxbridge
Only the top law dogs get into Oxford or Cambridge. Even if you’re set to breeze through your A-levels, you still need to survive the ordeal of Oxbridge interviews. Nevertheless, you’ll be expected to get the following grades…
University of Cambridge:
A-levels – A*AA
Scottish Highers – AAA (Advanced Higher)
International Baccalaureate – 40-41, 7, 7, 6 in Higher Level subjects.
University of Oxford:
A-levels – AAA
Scottish Highers – AAB (AH) or AA plus an additional Higher at grade A
International Baccalaureate – 38 with at least 6, 6, 6 HL
Russell Group
Russell Group universities are highly regarded by employers and offer students the chance to get a fancy degree under their belt. Getting into a Russell Group university isn’t easy, and you may still have to go for an interview and sit the LNAT.
University of Birmingham
A-levels – AAA with LNAT.
Scottish Highers – AAABB with two Advanced Highers at AA with LNAT.
International Baccalaureate – 36, with 6, 6, 6 in Higher Level subjects with LNAT.
University of Bristol
A-levels – AAA/A*AB + LNAT
Scottish Highers – AAAAB and AH: AA with an LNAT
International Baccalaureate – 36, including 18 at Higher Level. LNAT required.
Cardiff University
A-levels – AAA-AAB
Scottish Highers – AAB-AAA (Advanced Higher)
International Baccalaureate – 34, with 6, 6, 5 in Higher Level subjects.
Durham University
A-levels – A*AA + LNAT
Scottish Highers – AAAAA + LNAT
International Baccalaureate – 38, with 6, 6, 6 in Higher Level subjects + LNAT
University of Edinburgh
A-levels – AAA-AAB
Scottish Highers – ABBB-AAAA
International Baccalaureate – 34-40, with 6, 5, 5 - 6, 6, 6 in Higher Level subjects including English.
University of Exeter
A-levels – AAA-AAB
Scottish Highers – AAABB-AAAAB
International Baccalaureate – 34-36.
University of Glasgow
A-levels – BBB - AAA
Scottish Highers – AAAAA
International Baccalaureate – 39.
King's College London
A-levels – A*AA
Scottish Highers – AAAAA with AA in Advanced Highers
International Baccalaureate – 35, with 7, 6, 6 in Higher Level subjects.
University of Leeds
A-levels – AAA
Scottish Highers – AAAAB with AA in Advanced Highers
International Baccalaureate – 35, with 6, 6, 5 in Higher Level Subjects.
University of Liverpool
A-levels – ABB
Scottish Highers – AABBB with ABB in Advanced Highers
International Baccalaureate – 33, with no subject less than 4.
London School of Economics & Political Science
A-levels – A*AA
Scottish Highers – AAAAA with AAA in Advanced Highers
International Baccalaureate – 38, with 7, 6, 6 or 6, 6, 6 in Higher Level Subjects.
University of Manchester
A-levels – AAA
Scottish Highers – AAAAB with English and Maths at grade A
International Baccalaureate – 37, with 6, 6, 6 in Higher Level subjects.
Newcastle University
A-levels – AAA
Scottish Highers – AAAAB with AA in Advanced Highers
International Baccalaureate – 34, with 6, 6, 6 in Higher Level subjects.
University of Nottingham
A-levels – A*AA + LNAT
Scottish Highers – AAAAB with AA in Advanced Highers + LNAT
International Baccalaureate – 38 + LNAT
Queen Mary University of London
A-levels – A*AA
Scottish Highers – AAB (Advanced Higher)
International Baccalaureate – 37, with 18 in Higher Level subjects.
Queen's University Belfast
A-levels – AAB
Scottish Highers – AAABB with AAB AH
International Baccalaureate – 34, with 6, 6, 6 in Higher Level subjects.
University of Sheffield
A-levels – AAA
Scottish Highers – AAAAB
International Baccalaureate – 37.
University of Southampton
A-levels – AAA
Scottish Highers – AAA (Advanced Highers)
International Baccalaureate – 36, with 18 points in Higher Level subjects.
University College London
A-levels – A*AA with an LNAT
Scottish Highers – AAA, with A1, A or A1, A, A in Advanced Highers + LNAT
International Baccalaureate – 39, with 19 in Higher Level subjects and no score lower than 5 + LNAT
University of Warwick
A-levels – AAA
Scottish Highers – ABB with AA in Advanced Highers
International Baccalaureate – 38.
University of York
A-levels – AAA
Scottish Highers – AAAAA with AA in Advanced Highers
International Baccalaureate – 36.
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Guardian Top 20 Universities
We checked out the Guardian’s top universities for law and listed their law degree requirements for all you budding lawyers.
University of Aberdeen
A-levels – ABB
Scottish Highers – AABBB - ABBBBB
International Baccalaureate – 34, with average of 5 in Higher Level subjects.
University of Kent
A-levels – AAA - AAB
Scottish Highers – AAAAB
International Baccalaureate – 34 or 17 at HL
Lancaster University
A-levels – AAA
Scottish Highers – AAABB
International Baccalaureate – 36 with 16 from 3 HL
SOAS
A-levels – AAA
International Baccalaureate - 37 with 6, 6, 6
Scottish Highers - AAAAA (AAA in Advanced Highers)
University of Surrey
A-levels – AAA - AAB
International Baccalaureate – 36 - 35
Scottish Highers - AAAAB - AAABB
University of East Anglia
A-levels – AAB
Scottish Highers – AAABB or AAB (Advanced Higher)
International Baccalaureate – 33.
Now to apply for law
So there we have it… the grades you need to be getting to get into the best universities in the country, but remember that your grades only form part of your application. You still need to nail the LNAT if you need to sit it, and the personal statement is a big factor too. Best of luck!
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