Feb 09, 2018

Written By Billy Sexton, Editor, AllAboutLaw.co.uk

Law Degree Requirements

Feb 09, 2018

Written By Billy Sexton, Editor, AllAboutLaw.co.uk

You want to go to university? Yes.

You want to study law? Yes.

Know what you need to get into university? … Not sure.

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.

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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