← All contextual offer schemes

Cardiff University contextual offers

Cardiff University makes contextual offers (lower entry requirements) to applicants whose background may have limited their opportunities. Here's who qualifies for 2027 entry and how much lower the offer is.

Who is eligible for a contextual offer at Cardiff University?

To be considered for a contextual offer from Cardiff University you need one of the following: care experience, caring responsibilities, free school meals, refugee or asylum-seeker status, estrangement from your parents or a widening-access programme.

You need any one of these:

• Are care-experienced or a care leaver
• Have caring responsibilities (a young carer, a parent, or similar)
• Have been eligible for free school meals
• Have refugee, asylum-seeker or humanitarian-protection status (you or your family)
• Are estranged from your parents or guardians
• Have completed a recognised access or outreach programme (e.g. Sutton Trust, Realising Opportunities, or the university's own scheme)

Criteria based on where you live are worked out from your home postcode, which the checker looks up for you. Each link above explains what the criterion means.

How much lower is Cardiff University's contextual offer?

Of the 227 Cardiff University courses where we have both offers, 193 are two grades lower and 34 are one grade lower. The most common change is AAB to BBB.

Contextual offer for each Cardiff University course (227)

Course	Standard	Contextual
Accounting	AAB	BBB
Accounting and Finance	AAB	BBB
Accounting and Finance with a Foundation Year	CCD	CDD
Accounting and Finance with a Professional Placement Year	AAB	BBB
Accounting with a Professional Placement Year	AAB	BBB
Applied Software Engineering	ABB	BBC
Archaeology	BBB	BCC
Archaeology and Heritage Science	BBB	BCC
Archaeology and History	ABB	BBC
Archaeology with a Foundation Year	CCD	CDD
Architectural Engineering	ABB	BBC
Architectural Engineering	AAA	ABB
Architectural Engineering with Year in Industry	AAA	ABB
Architectural Engineering with a Year in Industry	ABB	BBC
Architecture	AAA	AAB
Architecture with a Year of Study Abroad	AAA	AAB
Astrophysics	AAB	BBB
Astrophysics	AAA	ABB
Astrophysics with a Professional Placement Year	AAB	BBB
Astrophysics with a Professional Placement Year	AAA	ABB
Bachelor of Nursing (Adult) Autumn Intake	BBB	BCC
Bachelor of Nursing (Child)	BBB	BCC
Bachelor of Nursing (Mental Health) Autumn Intake	BBB	BCC
Banking and Finance	AAB	BBB
Banking and Finance with a Professional Placement Year	AAB	BBB
Biochemistry	AAB	BBB
Biochemistry	AAA	ABB
Biochemistry with Professional Training Year	AAB	BBB
Biochemistry with a Foundation Year	CCD	CDD
Biological Sciences	AAB	BBB
Biological Sciences	AAA	ABB
Biological Sciences with Professional Training Year	AAB	BBB
Biological Sciences with a Foundation Year	CCD	CDD
Biomedical Sciences	AAB	ABB
Biomedical Sciences	AAA	AAB
Biomedical Sciences with Professional Training Year	AAB	ABB
Business Economics	AAB	BBB
Business Economics with a Professional Placement Year	AAB	BBB
Business Management	AAB	BBB
Business Management (Human Resource Management)	AAB	BBB
Business Management (Human Resource Management) with a Professional Placement Year	AAB	BBB
Business Management (International Management)	AAB	BBB
Business Management (International Management) with a Professional Placement Year	AAB	ABB
Business Management (Logistics and Operations)	AAB	BBB
Business Management (Logistics and Operations) with a Professional Placement Year	AAB	BBB
Business Management (Marketing)	AAB	BBB
Business Management (Marketing) with a Professional Placement Year	AAB	BBB
Business Management with Welsh	AAB	BBB
Business Management with Welsh with a Professional Placement Year	AAB	BBB
Business Management with a Foundation Year	CCD	CDD
Business Management with a Professional Placement Year	AAB	BBB
Chemistry	ABB	BBC
Chemistry	AAB	BBB
Chemistry with Year in Industry	AAB	BBB
Chemistry with a Foundation Year	CCD	CDD
Chemistry with a Placement Year Abroad	ABB	BBC
Chemistry with a Placement Year Abroad	AAB	BBB
Chemistry with a Year in Industry	ABB	BBC
Civil Engineering	ABB	BBC
Civil Engineering	AAA	ABB
Civil Engineering with Year in Industry	AAA	ABB
Civil Engineering with a Year in Industry	ABB	BBC
Civil and Environmental Engineering	ABB	BBC
Civil and Environmental Engineering	AAA	ABB
Civil and Environmental Engineering with Year in Industry	AAA	ABB
Civil and Environmental Engineering with a Year in Industry	ABB	BBC
Computer Science	ABB	BBC
Computer Science	AAB	BBB
Computer Science with Cyber Security	ABB	BBC
Computer Science with Cyber Security with a Year in Industry	ABB	BBC
Computer Science with Cyber Security with a Year of Study Abroad	ABB	BBC
Computer Science with a Foundation Year	CCD	CDD
Computer Science with a Year in Industry	ABB	BBC
Computer Science with a Year in Industry	AAB	BBB
Computer Science with a Year of Study Abroad	ABB	BBC
Computer Science with a Year of Study Abroad	AAB	BBB
Criminology	AAB	BBB
Criminology and Social Policy	ABB	BBC
Criminology and Sociology	ABB	BBC
Criminology with a Foundation Year	CCD	CDD
Dental Hygiene	CC	CD
Dental Therapy and Dental Hygiene	BBB	BBC
Diagnostic Radiography and Imaging	BBB	BCC
Economics	AAB	BBB
Economics with a Foundation Year	CCD	CDD
Economics with a Professional Placement Year	AAB	BBB
Education	BBB	BCC
Electrical and Electronic Engineering	ABB	BBC
Electrical and Electronic Engineering	AAB	BBB
Electrical and Electronic Engineering with Year in Industry	AAB	BBB
Electrical and Electronic Engineering with a Year in Industry	ABB	BBC
Engineering with a Foundation Year	AAB	BBB
English Language and Linguistics	ABB	BBC
English Language and Literature	AAB	BBB
English Language with a Foundation Year	CCD	CDD
English Literature	AAB	BBB
English Literature and History	AAB	BBB
English Literature and Philosophy	AAB	BBB
English Literature and a Modern Language	ABB	BBC
English Literature with Creative Writing	AAB	BBB
English Literature with a Foundation Year	CCD	CDD
English Literature, Journalism and Media	AAB	BBB
Environmental Geography	ABB	BBC
Environmental Geography	ABB	BBC
Environmental Geography with a Year of Study Abroad	ABB	BBC
Environmental Geoscience	ABB	BBC
Environmental Geoscience	ABB	BBC
Environmental Geoscience with a Year of Study Abroad	ABB	BBC
Environmental Sustainability Science	ABB	BBC
Exploration Geology	ABB	BBC
Exploration Geology	ABB	BBC
Exploration Geology with a Year of Study Abroad	ABB	BBC
Financial Mathematics	AAB	BBB
Financial Mathematics with a Professional Placement Year	AAB	BBB
Financial Mathematics with a Year of Study Abroad	AAB	BBB
Geology	ABB	BBC
Geology	ABB	BBC
Geology with a Foundation Year	CCD	CDD
Geology with a Year of Study Abroad	ABB	BBC
History	ABB	BBC
History and a Modern Language	ABB	BBC
History with a Foundation Year	CCD	CDD
Human Geography	AAB	BBB
Human Geography and Planning	ABB	BBC
Human Geography and Planning with a Foundation Year	CCD	CDD
Human Geography and Planning with a Professional Placement Year (Accredited)	ABB	BBC
Human Geography and Planning with a Professional Placement Year (non-accredited)	ABB	BBC
Human Geography with a Professional Placement Year	AAB	BBB
Human and Social Sciences	ABB	BBC
International Relations	ABB	BBC
Journalism and Communication with a Foundation Year	CCD	CDD
Journalism and Communications	ABB	BBC
Journalism, Politics and International Relations	ABB	BBC
Law	AAA	ABB
Law with Criminology	AAA	ABB
Law with Politics and International Relations	AAA	ABB
Law with Welsh	AAA	ABB
Linguistics and a Modern Language	BBB	BCC
Marine Geography	ABB	BBC
Marine Geography	ABB	BBC
Marine Geography with a Year of Study Abroad	ABB	BBC
Mathematics	AAB	BBB
Mathematics	AAA	ABB
Mathematics for the Modern World	AAB	BBB
Mathematics for the Modern World with a Foundation Year	AAB	BBB
Mathematics for the Modern World with a Professional Placement Year	AAB	BBB
Mathematics for the Modern World with a Year of Study Abroad	AAB	BBB
Mathematics with a Foundation Year	CCD	CDD
Mathematics with a Professional Placement Year	AAB	BBB
Mathematics with a Professional Placement Year	AAA	ABB
Mathematics with a Year Abroad	AAB	BBB
Mathematics with a Year of Study Abroad	AAA	ABB
Mechanical Engineering	AAB	BBB
Mechanical Engineering	AAA	ABB
Mechanical Engineering with Year in Industry	AAA	ABB
Mechanical Engineering with a Year in Industry	AAB	BBB
Mechanical and Electrical Engineering	AAB	BBB
Mechanical and Electrical Engineering	AAA	ABB
Mechanical and Electrical Engineering (Year in Industry)	AAA	ABB
Mechanical and Electrical Engineering with a Year in Industry	AAB	BBB
Media and Communications	ABB	BBC
Media, Journalism and Culture	ABB	BBC
Medical Engineering	AAB	BBB
Medical Engineering	AAA	ABB
Medical Engineering with Year in Industry	AAA	ABB
Medical Engineering with a Year in Industry	AAB	BBB
Medical Pharmacology	AAB	ABB
Medical Pharmacology with a Foundation Year	CCD	CDD
Medicinal Chemistry	AAB	BBB
Medicinal Chemistry with a Year Abroad	AAB	BBB
Medicinal Chemistry with a Year in Industry	AAB	BBB
Midwifery	ABB	BBC
Modern Chinese	AAB	BBB
Modern History, Politics and International Relations	ABB	BBC
Modern Languages	ABB	BBC
Modern Languages with a Foundation Year	CCD	CDD
Music	AAB	BBB
Music and English Literature	AAB	BBB
Music with a Foundation Year	CCD	CDD
Music with a Year of Study Abroad	AAB	BBB
Occupational Therapy	ABB	BBC
Optometry	AAA	ABB
Optometry with Preliminary Year	ABB	BBB
Pharmacy	AAB	ABB
Philosophy	ABB	BBC
Philosophy and Linguistics	ABB	BBC
Philosophy with a Foundation Year	CCD	CDD
Philosophy, Politics and International Relations	AAB	BBB
Physical Geography	ABB	BBC
Physical Geography	ABB	BBC
Physical Geography with a Foundation Year	CCD	CDD
Physical Geography with a Year of Study Abroad	ABB	BBC
Physics	AAB	BBB
Physics	AAA	ABB
Physics with Medical Physics	AAB	BBB
Physics with a Foundation Year	CCD	CDD
Physics with a Professional Placement Year	AAB	BBB
Physics with a Professional Placement Year	AAA	ABB
Physiotherapy	AAB	BBB
Politics	ABB	BBC
Politics and International Relations	ABB	BBC
Politics and Sociology	ABB	BBC
Politics, International Relations and Sociology	ABB	BBC
Politics, International Relations and a Modern Language	ABB	BBC
Psychology	AAA	ABB
Psychology with Professional Placement Year	AAA	ABB
Radiotherapy and Oncology	BBB	BCC
Religion, Philosophy and Ethics	ABB	BBC
Social Science	BBB	BCC
Social Sciences with a Foundation Year	CCD	CDD
Sociology	ABB	BBC
Sociology and Education	BBB	BCC
Sociology and Social Policy	BBB	BCC
Translation	ABB	BBC
Translation with a Placement Year Abroad	ABB	BBC
Urban Planning & Development	ABB	BBC
Urban Planning and Development with a Professional Placement Year	ABB	BBC
Welsh	BBC	CCC
Welsh and Education	BBB	BCC
Welsh and English Literature	AAB	BBB
Welsh and History	ABB	BBC
Welsh and Journalism	BBB	BCC
Welsh and Linguistics	ABB	BBC
Welsh and Music	BBB	BCC
Welsh and Philosophy	ABB	BBC
Welsh and a Modern Language	BBB	BCC
Welsh, Politics and International Relations	BBB	BCC

See every Cardiff University course for the full entry requirements.

Cardiff University's official policy

This page summarises Cardiff University's published contextual offer policy. Meeting the criteria means Cardiff University may make you a contextual offer; it doesn't guarantee one, and some courses (often medicine, dentistry and other heavily oversubscribed courses) can have their own rules. Always check the university's own policy before relying on it.

Other universities' contextual offers

• Aberystwyth University
• Aston University
• Bangor University
• Bath Spa University
• Birmingham City University
• Bournemouth University
• Brunel University of London
• Cardiff Metropolitan University
• City St George's, University of London
• Coventry University
• Durham University
• Edge Hill University
• Edinburgh Napier University
• Glasgow Caledonian University
• Goldsmiths, University of London
• Harper Adams University
• Heriot-Watt University
• Imperial College London
• Keele University
• King's College London
• Lancaster University
• London School of Economics and Political Science
• Loughborough University
• Newcastle University
• Northumbria University
• Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh
• Queen's University Belfast
• Robert Gordon University
• Royal Holloway, University of London
• Sheffield Hallam University
• Swansea University
• UWE Bristol
• University College London
• University of Aberdeen
• University of Bath
• University of Birmingham
• University of Bristol
• University of Cambridge
• University of Chester
• University of Chichester
• University of Derby
• University of Dundee
• University of East Anglia
• University of East London
• University of Edinburgh
• University of Exeter
• University of Glasgow
• University of Gloucestershire
• University of Hull
• University of Kent
• University of Lancashire
• University of Leeds
• University of Leicester
• University of Lincoln
• University of Liverpool
• University of Manchester
• University of Plymouth
• University of Reading
• University of Salford
• University of Sheffield
• University of South Wales
• University of Southampton
• University of Strathclyde
• University of Suffolk
• University of Surrey
• University of Sussex
• University of Wales Trinity Saint David
• University of Warwick
• University of Winchester
• University of Wolverhampton
• University of Worcester
• University of York
• University of the Arts London