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Durham University contextual offers

Durham 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 Durham University?

To be considered for a contextual offer from Durham University you need 'home' fee status, plus one of the following: free school meals or (at least two of a TUNDRA quintile 1-2 area, a low socio-economic area, a UK state-school education, care experience and estrangement from your parents).

Everyone must:

• Have 'home' (UK) fee status

Then you need any one of these:

• Have been eligible for free school meals
• At least two of:
  • Live in a TUNDRA quintile 1 or 2 area (the 40% of areas where fewest young people go to university)
  • Live in a low socio-economic area (ONS area classification supergroup 7 or 8)
  • Attend, or last attended, a UK state school or college
  • Are care-experienced or a care leaver
  • Are estranged from your parents or guardians

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 Durham University's contextual offer?

Of the 126 Durham University courses where we have both offers, 87 are two grades lower, 27 are three grades lower and 12 are four grades lower. The most common change is A*AA to AAB.

Contextual offer for each Durham University course (129)

Course	Standard	Contextual
Accounting	AAB	BBB
Accounting (with placement year)	AAB	BBB
Accounting and Finance	AAB	BBB
Accounting and Finance (with placement year)	AAB	BBB
Accounting and Finance (with study abroad)	AAB	BBB
Accounting with Study Abroad	AAB	BBB
Ancient History	AAA	BBB
Ancient History and Archaeology	AAB	BBC
Ancient, Medieval and Modern History	A*AA	AAB
Anthropology	AAB	BCC
Anthropology	AAB	BCC
Anthropology and Archaeology	AAB	BCC
Anthropology and Sociology	AAB	BCC
Archaeology	AAB	BCC
Archaeology	AAB	BCC
Archaeology and Ancient Civilisations	AAB	BCC
Artificial Intelligence	A*AA	AAB
Artificial Intelligence	A*AA	AAB
Biochemistry	AAA	ABB
Biological Sciences	AAA	ABB
Biology and Chemistry	A*AA	AAB
Biology and Chemistry	A*AA	AAB
Biology and Psychology	A*AA	AAB
Biosciences	AAA	ABB
Business and Management	AAB	BBB
Business and Management (with placement year)	AAB	BBB
Business and Management (with study abroad)	AAB	BBB
Chemistry	A*AA	AAB
Chemistry	A*AA	AAB
Chemistry (with Industrial Placement)	A*AA	AAB
Chemistry (with Overseas Placement)	A*AA	AAB
Chemistry and Mathematics	A*AA	AAB
Chemistry and Mathematics	A*AA	AAB
Chemistry and Physics	A*AA	AAB
Chemistry and Physics	A*AA	AAB
Chinese Studies with Year Abroad	AAB	BBB
Classical Civilisation	AAA	BBB
Classics	AAA	BBB
Climate Science	AAB	BBB
Combined Honours in Social Sciences	A*AA	AAB
Computer Science	A*AA	AAB
Computer Science	A*AA	AAB
Computer Science and Mathematics	A*AA	A*AC
Computer Science and Mathematics	A*AA	A*AC
Computer Science and Mathematics	A*AA	A*AC
Criminology	AAB	BCC
Earth Sciences	AAA	BBB
Economics	A*AA	ABB
Economics (with placement year)	A*AA	ABB
Economics (with study abroad)	A*AA	ABB
Economics and Mathematics	A*AA	A*AC
Economics and Politics	A*AA	ABB
Economics with Management	A*AA	ABB
Economics with Management (with placement year)	A*AA	ABB
Economics with Management (with study abroad)	A*AA	ABB
Education Studies	ABB	BBC
Education Studies - Geography	AAB	BBC
Education Studies - Psychology	AAB	BBC
Education Studies - Sociology	AAB	BBC
Engineering (Aeronautical)	A*AA	AAB
Engineering (Bioengineering)	A*AA	AAB
Engineering (Civil)	A*AA	AAB
Engineering (Civil)	A*AA	AAB
Engineering (Electrical)	A*AA	AAB
Engineering (Electrical)	A*AA	AAB
Engineering (Electronic)	A*AA	AAB
Engineering (Electronic)	A*AA	AAB
Engineering (Mechanical)	A*AA	AAB
Engineering (Mechanical)	A*AA	AAB
Engineering (Renewable Energy)	A*AA	AAB
English Literature	A*AA	AAB
English Literature and History	A*AA	AAB
English Literature and Philosophy	A*AA	AAB
Environmental Geoscience	AAB	BBB
Finance	AAB	BBB
Finance (with placement year)	AAB	BBB
Finance (with study abroad)	AAB	BBB
General Engineering	A*AA	AAB
General Engineering	A*AA	AAB
Geography	AAA	BBB
Geography	A*AA	ABB
Geology	AAB	BBB
Geophysics	AAB	BBB
Geoscience	AAB	BBB
Health and Human Sciences	AAB	BCC
Historical Archaeology	AAB	BCC
History	A*AA	AAB
International Relations	AAA	BBB
Japanese Studies with Year Abroad	AAB	BBB
Law	A*AA	AAB
Liberal Arts	A*AA	AAB
Marketing and Management	AAB	BBB
Marketing and Management (with placement year)	AAB	BBB
Marketing and Management (with study abroad)	AAB	BBB
Mathematics	A*A*A	A*A*C
Mathematics	A*A*A	A*A*C
Mathematics and Philosophy	A*AA	AAB
Mathematics and Physics	A*A*A	A*AB
Mathematics and Physics	A*A*A	A*AB
Mathematics and Physics	A*A*A	A*AB
Mathematics and Statistics	A*A*A	A*A*C
Mathematics and Statistics	A*A*A	A*A*C
Modern Languages and Cultures with Year Abroad	AAA	BBB
Modern Languages and History with Year Abroad	AAA	ABB
Music	AAB	BBB
Natural Sciences	—	AAB
Natural Sciences	—	AAB
Natural Sciences	—	AAB
Philosophy	AAA	BBB
Philosophy and Physics	A*AA	AAB
Philosophy and Politics	AAA	ABB
Philosophy and Psychology	AAA	BBB
Philosophy and Theology	AAA	BBB
Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE)	A*AA	ABB
Physics	A*A*A	A*AB
Physics	A*A*A	A*AB
Physics and Astronomy	A*A*A	A*AB
Politics	AAA	BBB
Politics and International Relations	AAA	BBB
Psychological and Behavioural Science	AAA	BBB
Psychology	AAA	BBB
Psychology and Anthropology	AAB	BCC
Religion, Society and Culture	AAB	BBB
Sociology	AAB	BCC
Sport and Exercise Sciences	AAB	BBB
Sport, Exercise and Physical Activity	AAB	BBB
Theology and Religion	AAB	BBB
Theoretical Physics	A*A*A	A*AB
Visual Arts and Film	AAB	BBB

See every Durham University course for the full entry requirements.

Durham University's official policy

This page summarises Durham University's published contextual offer policy. Meeting the criteria means Durham 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
• Cardiff University
• City St George's, University of London
• Coventry 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