Aberystwyth University
Prifysgol Aberystwyth
Wales's first university college, by Cardigan Bay, home to the world's first Department of International Politics.
- Students
- 6,330
- International
- 21%
- of students
- Student–faculty
- 15.1:1
- ratio
- Tuition
- £20,400
- From · 2027-28
- Founded
- 1872
About Aber
Aberystwyth University opened in 1872 as the University College of Wales, the first university college in Wales, in a seafront building now known as the Old College. Today most teaching happens on the Penglais campus on the hill above the town, overlooking Cardigan Bay, with the National Library of Wales, one of the UK's copyright libraries, just below it. The university is small, with about 6,300 students in the data published with the THE 2026 rankings, about a fifth of them international.
Teaching is organised in two faculties, Humanities and Sciences, covering departments from Art, Law and Criminology and International Politics to Computer Science, Physics and the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS). The Department of International Politics, founded in 1919, describes itself as the world's first. Aberystwyth is also home to the first and only vet school in Wales, where the Veterinary Science (BVSc) degree is taught jointly with the Royal Veterinary College.
Aberystwyth consistently does well on student satisfaction: it was top in Wales in the National Student Survey for the tenth year running in 2025, and was named University of the Year for Sustainability in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2026. Entry is moderate, typically BBB to CCC for International Relations and AAB to BBB for Computer Science. It suits students who want a close-knit, outdoorsy seaside town rather than a big city.
Nid Byd, Byd Heb Wybodaeth
“A world without knowledge is no world at all” — university motto
Why students choose Aber
The Department of International Politics, founded in 1919 and described by the university as the world's first, runs International Relations and Intelligence and International Security degrees with annual role-play simulation modules.
Veterinary Science (BVSc) is taught jointly with the Royal Veterinary College at the first and only vet school in Wales.
The Scholarships and Merit Awards exam (2 February 2027) can earn an applicant £1,000 a year and an unconditional offer.
First-years who apply by 1 September are guaranteed university accommodation, which includes free Platinum membership of the university Sports Centre.
Admissions
2027 entry
Selectivity
Aberystwyth does not publish an offer rate. Offers are set per course in UCAS tariff points and grades, e.g. 120-96 points (BBB-CCC) for International Relations and 136-120 (AAB-BBB) for Computer Science, with Veterinary Science (AAA plus work experience and interview) the most demanding.
Typical entry requirements
| A-levels / UCAS tariff | Course-specific for September 2027: International Relations 120-96 points (BBB-CCC); Computer Science 136-120 (AAB-BBB); Veterinary Science AAA including Biology and Chemistry |
|---|---|
| IB Diploma | International Relations 26-30 points; Computer Science 28-30; Veterinary Science 666 at Higher Level including Biology and Chemistry |
| BTEC National Diploma | International Relations DDM-MMM; Computer Science DDM-DDD; Veterinary Science D*D*D* in Applied Science |
| GCSEs | Grade C/4 in English or Welsh, plus Mathematics for Computer Science; Veterinary Science needs at least five GCSEs at grade A/7 including sciences |
| English language | IELTS 6 · TOEFL iBT 88 IELTS 6.0 with at least 5.5 in each component for Computer Science (BSc) and Business courses; IELTS 6.5 with at least 5.5 in each component for all other undergraduate courses; Nursing needs IELTS 7.0. TOEFL iBT 88 or 93 respectively (tests taken before 20 January 2026). IB English A (SL 5 or HL 4) is also accepted. |
Deadlines
- UCAS (Veterinary Science BVSc) Non-binding Next deadline · In 9 days15 October 2026, 18:00 UK time
Veterinary Science applications are made to the Royal Veterinary College under the UCAS 15 October deadline for veterinary courses; applicants must attend an interview if invited.
- UCAS equal consideration deadline Non-binding In ~3 months13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
All other Aberystwyth courses.
- UCAS last date before Clearing Non-binding In ~9 months30 June 2027, 18:00 UK time
Applications received after this are entered into Clearing, which opens on 2 July 2027; places depend on availability.
The 15 October 2026, 13 January 2027 and 30 June 2027 dates are the UCAS deadlines for 2027 entry. Separately, applications for the Scholarships and Merit Awards exam close at 10am on 26 January 2027 and the exam is sat in schools on 2 February 2027.
How to apply
Apply through UCAS (up to five choices) with a personal statement and a reference. International students can also apply directly to the university, and applicants from the USA can use the Common App. Veterinary Science applications go to the Royal Veterinary College with a Work Experience: Applicant Summary Form.
What admissions looks for
- Grades or UCAS tariff points in the published range for the course, with any required subjects (for example Biology and Chemistry for Veterinary Science).
- GCSE English or Welsh at grade C/4, plus Mathematics for Computer Science.
- For Veterinary Science: 140 hours of recent work experience (70 in veterinary practice, 70 with live animals) and a successful interview.
- Breadth as well as depth of study: the admissions policy says applicants are selected on their individual merits and offers can vary.
Tips for applying to Aber
- 1 Sit the Scholarships and Merit Awards exam: 50 University Scholarships pay £1,000 a year, up to 100 Merit Awards pay £1,000 in the first year, and strong papers can turn your offer unconditional.
- 2 UK applicants who achieve AAA at A-level (or DDD in a BTEC Extended Diploma, or 34 IB points) receive a £2,000 Academic Excellence Award automatically.
- 3 International applicants get the Global Citizens Scholarship (£3,000 off Humanities or £4,500 off Sciences fees for 2027/28) and can combine it with free accommodation for at least one year.
- 4 For Veterinary Science, log your 140 work-experience hours within the 18 months before the deadline; earlier experience does not count.
Costs & financial aid
2027-28 · figures in GBP
UK and international applicants can win University Scholarships (£1,000 a year) or Merit Awards (£1,000 in year one) through the scholarship exam; UK applicants get a £2,000 Academic Excellence Award automatically for AAA or equivalent, and the AberCares Bursary pays £1,250 a year to care leavers, young adult carers, estranged students and refugees. International undergraduates receive the Global Citizens Scholarship and can take up the International Accommodation Award, which gives free accommodation for one academic year.
- £3,000 (Humanities) or £4,500 (Sciences) off tuition, plus free housing for at least one year
- Global Citizens Scholarship (international, 2027/28)
- £1,000 per year, 50 awards, plus an unconditional offer
- University Scholarship (exam-based)
- £2,000 in first year for AAA at A-level or equivalent
- Academic Excellence Award (UK)
- £1,250 per year plus a £500 graduate boost
- AberCares Bursary
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters (academic year of about 39 weeks)
International Relations (BA, 142L)
Taught by the world's first Department of International Politics (1919), with annual role-play simulations; 120-96 tariff points.
Intelligence and International Security (BA, L253)
A specialist security degree in the same department, also available with a year studying abroad.
Veterinary Science (BVSc, UCAS code D105 at the RVC)
Five-year degree run jointly with the Royal Veterinary College at Wales's only vet school; applications go to the RVC (institution code R84, course code D105; Aberystwyth's own course page lists it as YD105). AAA, 140 hours of work experience and an interview.
Computer Science (BSc, G400)
Top 5 in the UK for student experience in the subject (Good University Guide 2025); AAB-BBB with GCSE Maths.
Accounting and Finance
Top in the UK for student experience and teaching quality in the subject (Good University Guide 2026).
Equine and Veterinary Bioscience (BSc, D334)
Draws on the vet school's subject area, with options for a year in industry or abroad.
Research
- In REF 2021, 98% of Aberystwyth research was rated internationally recognised or higher, and 75% world-leading (4*) or internationally excellent (3*).
- IBERS brings together biological, environmental and rural sciences, with a rural research hub at the Gogerddan campus.
- Aberystwyth was the first university in the world to be awarded Plastic Free University status and targets net zero by the end of 2030-31.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Humanities
- Faculty of Sciences
- International Politics
- Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS)
- School of Veterinary Sciences
- Computer Science
- Law and Criminology
- Geography and Earth Sciences
- Theatre, Film and Television Studies
- Business
- Art
- Welsh and Celtic Studies
92% of graduates in work or further study 15 months after graduating (HESA Graduate Outcomes, as reported by the university in June 2023).
Student life
Student life in Aberystwyth centres on a small seaside town. Most residences are a short walk from the Penglais campus, and first-years who apply by 1 September are guaranteed a university room with bills, wifi and gym membership included. The campus has its own Arts Centre, and the town adds a 2km promenade, three beaches and easy access to the Cambrian Mountains. Students keep the tradition of 'kicking the bar' at the north end of the promenade, and the university has been top in Wales for student satisfaction for ten years running.
- Over 50 competitive sports clubs and more than 100 societies.
- Aberystwyth Arts Centre is on the Penglais campus.
- Dedicated accommodation for Welsh speakers and learners, and Welsh-medium study bursaries of up to £400 a year.
- Aberystwyth was the first town in Wales to win a Purple Flag for safe, welcoming nightlife.
Housing. New undergraduates who apply by 1 September in their year of entry, and reply to their accommodation offer on time, are guaranteed a place in university-owned or managed accommodation (not a specific room type); rooms start from about £140 a week.
Location
Aberystwyth is a small town on the Cardigan Bay coast of mid-Wales, between the Cambrian Mountains and the sea, with Snowdonia and Pembrokeshire national parks within reach. Victorian seafront buildings, the castle ruins, the pier and Constitution Hill frame the town centre. The university says living costs are much lower than in other parts of the UK, with private rooms estimated at about £110 a week.
Notable alumni
- CI Charles IIIKing of the United Kingdom; spent one term in 1969 studying Welsh history and language as a visiting student (no Aberystwyth degree; he graduated from Cambridge)
- CJ Carwyn JonesFirst Minister of Wales 2009-2018; LLB graduate
- FS Frederick SoddyNobel Prize in Chemistry 1921; studied at Aberystwyth before taking his degree at Merton College, Oxford (no Aberystwyth degree)
- JP Jan PinkavaOscar-winning Pixar animator (Geri's Game); Computer Science degree and PhD
- AC Alan CoxMajor Linux kernel developer; wrote AberMUD as a student
- DJ Dan JarvisLabour MP and minister; BA in international politics and strategic studies
- BA Belinda AngJudge of Singapore's Court of Appeal; LLB 1976
- ZP Zack PolanskiLeader of the Green Party of England and Wales; studied sociology and drama
Frequently asked questions
What grades do you need for Aberystwyth University?
It depends on the course: for September 2027, International Relations asks for 120-96 UCAS points (BBB-CCC), Computer Science 136-120 (AAB-BBB) and Veterinary Science AAA including Biology and Chemistry.
What is the Aberystwyth scholarship exam?
Applicants sit one exam paper at their school on 2 February 2027 (apply by 26 January). Top scorers win £1,000 a year or a £1,000 first-year Merit Award, and strong performers can get an unconditional offer.
How much are Aberystwyth's fees for international students?
For September 2027 entry, £20,400 a year for Humanities and £23,255 for Sciences, frozen for the length of the course. The Global Citizens Scholarship takes £3,000 or £4,500 off, and free accommodation for a year is available.
Is accommodation guaranteed at Aberystwyth?
Yes, for new undergraduates who apply for accommodation by 1 September in their year of entry and respond to the offer by its deadline.
What is the application deadline for Aberystwyth for 2027 entry?
13 January 2027 through UCAS for most courses, and 15 October 2026 for Veterinary Science, whose applications go to the Royal Veterinary College.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
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