What Are the UCAS Application Deadlines for Entry 2026?

UCAS Timeline Overview

UCAS opens its courses listing early (April), then in May the system allows applicants to begin preparing applications, but keep in mind that applications cannot actually be submitted until September.

Critical Deadlines

• early October for Oxbridge and medicine/dentistry/veterinary courses, and mid-January for most undergraduate programme submissions.
• Later in the cycle, “Extra” and “Clearing” phases provide additional application options for students who haven’t secured an offer.
• After submission, universities review, make offers (conditional or unconditional), and students respond by choosing a firm and possibly insurance choice.
• Finally, exam results confirm or cancel conditional offers; if needed, Clearing allows reapplication after results.

UCAS 2026 Application Timeline (Condensed)

• April 29, 2025 – Courses for 2026 entry appear on UCAS Search.
• May 13, 2025 – Students can begin applications.
• September 2, 2025 – Applications can be submitted.
• October 15, 2025 – Deadline for Oxbridge and medicine, dentistry, veterinary programs.
• January 14, 2026 – Main application deadline for most undergraduate courses.
• February 26, 2026 – UCAS Extra opens (for those without offers).
• June 30, 2026 – Last day to submit applications before Clearing.
• July 2, 2026 – Clearing opens.
• September 24, 2026 – Final UCAS deadline for 2026 entry.
• October 19, 2026 – Last day to add a Clearing choice.

What Are the UCAS Deadlines?

If you're starting your course in 2026, your exact deadline will depend on the university and programme you're applying for, so it's always a good idea to double-check your target university's website.

This is especially true if you're applying through the university directly as it gives them enough time to get your application to UCAS in time.

With that said, there are general deadlines provided by UCAS that will likely apply to you, even if you're applying to multiple colleges:

How To Determine Your Deadline for Your UCAS Application

1. Identify the programmes you're applying for

1. Identify the programmes you're applying for: You get up to 5 choices in your UCAS application. Determine the courses you're applying for and write them down.
2. Use the UCAS search tool: The UCAS website has a search tool that allows you to look up all the available programmes and find out what their individual deadlines are. Write down the deadline for each course you're applying for.
3. Submit Your Application: You have to submit your UCAS application by your course deadline, but you can add more choices later for other programmes with later deadlines.

What Happens if You Miss a Deadline?

There are a few different ways you can still apply if you've missed a deadline:

1. Make More Choices with UCAS Extra

If you've missed the main January deadline or have used all your choices and aren’t holding any offers, UCAS Extra can be a lifesaver. Extra is usually open from late February to early July each year.

UCAS Extra allows you to apply to additional universities one at a time if you didn’t get an offer from your initial choices or declined all your offers. Here’s how it works:

• Check Eligibility: You need to be eligible for Extra, meaning you’ve used all five choices and don’t hold any offers.
• Find Courses with Vacancies: Use the UCAS course search tool to find courses that are still accepting applications. Not all courses participate in Extra, so check the availability and contact the university directly.
• Apply to One Course at a Time: Unlike the initial application process, Extra allows you to apply to one course at a time. If you don’t get an offer, you can apply to another course, and so on, until 4 July.

2. Clearing

Clearing is another opportunity to secure a university place if you've missed deadlines or didn't receive any offers.

Here's how Clearing works:

• Eligibility: You can use Clearing if you didn’t receive any offers, declined all your offers, didn’t meet the conditions of your offers, or applied after 30 June.
• Search for Courses: Starting in early July, you can search for available courses through the UCAS website. The list of available courses is updated regularly, so keep checking for new opportunities.
• Contact Universities: Once you find a course you're interested in, contact the university directly. Be prepared to discuss your qualifications and why you’re interested in their course.
• Add a Clearing Choice: If a university offers you a place through Clearing, you can add this choice to your UCAS application. Make sure you get confirmation from the university before doing so.

When Do You Hear Back About Your UCAS Application?

Each university has a different decision day, and some might even have rolling admissions. With that said, there are general deadlines all universities have to get back to you by:

• If you applied by the January deadline, you'll hear back by 16 May.
• If you applied by the June deadline, you'll hear back by 17 July.

When Is the UCAS deadline for Accepting Offers?

Your deadline for acceptance depends on when you submitted your application.

• If you receive your last decision on or before 16 May 2024, your reply date is 6 June 2024 (except if you're using Extra to find a place).
• If you receive your last decision on or before 17 July 2024, your reply date is 24 July 2024 (including Extra choices).

Make sure you check your personal profile to figure out what your deadline is!

How Do You Accept an Offer on UCAS?

Once a university has made an offer to your for a spot, you will see it on your UCAS profile. For each offer you have three reply options:

1. Firm acceptance — your first choice

If it's an unconditional offer, the place is yours! So that course provider will expect you as their student. Or if it's conditional, the place is yours if you meet the offer conditions. So just in case you don't, you can pick a second offer as a backup — your insurance acceptance.

Learn more about conditional and unconditional offers here.

2. Insurance acceptance — the back-up choice to a conditional firm acceptance

If you're choosing an insurance, go for something with lower offer conditions, but make sure it's somewhere you'd still be happy to go to though. Remember, you can't choose between your firm and insurance when you get your results, so make sure you're happy with which is your firm and which is your insurance before you reply.

3. Decline — you'll need to decline any other offers you get

Final Thoughts

Applying to university is a daunting task, and it's important to be organised, so you don’t miss any important dates or requirements for submission. Hopefully, this blog has given you some insights into how to prepare for successful admission.

If you have any additional questions about applying to top UK universities feel free to contact one of our expert admissions counselors!

Remember, Crimson students are 7x more likely to get in to their top-choice schools than other students, proof that our consultants are committed to their students' growth and to making sure each student stands out when applying to top UK and US universities.

• See are amazing student results and learn more about us and our dedication to supporting motivated students around the globe.
• Join one of our upcoming webinars or events.
• Talk to a consultant for more personalised feedback and to learn about tailored admissions counseling services.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have to reply to all your offers at the same time?

Yes, you have to reply to all your offers at the same time.

What if I don’t want to wait for all the offers?

If you want to, you can permanently withdraw from any outstanding choices to reply to offers you’ve already received. If you decide to withdraw a choice, it will not be available to you later and the university or college will be informed you no longer wish to be considered for the course. We strongly recommend you wait for all your decisions before accepting an offer.

Can you change your replies?

You may change your replies once within fourteen days of initially making them. To do this, give UCAS a call with your Personal ID and an adviser will help you.