In this guide
Russell Group overview
The Russell Group is the association of twenty-four research-intensive UK universities formed in 1994 to coordinate the policy interests of the country's most research-active institutions. Membership covers Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, LSE, UCL and King's College London in London and the south; Bristol, Cardiff, Exeter, Southampton and Warwick across the south and west; Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield, York, Nottingham, Newcastle, Durham and Sheffield in the Midlands and North; and the four UK members outside England, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Queen's Belfast and the LSE-equivalent positioning of Cardiff in Wales.
All twenty-four Russell Group universities accept the IB Diploma. UCAS publishes the official IB to UCAS tariff conversion, and each university publishes its IB-specific entry requirements on its admissions website. The offer ranges across the group cluster as follows: Oxford and Cambridge at the top end (38 to 42 points with subject-specific Higher Level conditions); the London selective core of Imperial, LSE, UCL and King's just below (36 to 40 points); the wider Russell Group flagships at 34 to 38 points; and the broader Russell Group base at 32 to 36 points for most courses.
| Tier | Universities | Typical IB offer |
|---|---|---|
| Oxbridge | Oxford, Cambridge | 38 to 42 points, 7 7 6 to 7 6 6 HL |
| London selective | Imperial, LSE, UCL, King's | 36 to 40 points, 7 6 6 HL |
| Russell Group flagships | Edinburgh, Bristol, Warwick, Durham, Manchester | 34 to 38 points, 6 6 6 HL |
| Wider Russell Group | Birmingham, Leeds, Sheffield, Glasgow, Nottingham | 32 to 36 points, 6 6 5 HL |
Oxford and Cambridge
Oxford and Cambridge publish IB offers in the same format. The standard offer is 38 to 42 total points with three Higher Level scores specified. For most arts and humanities courses the Higher Level requirement is 7 6 6 or 6 6 6; for the most selective sciences and mathematics the requirement is 7 7 6. Medicine at both universities typically requires 7 6 6 including Higher Level chemistry and a second science (biology or physics). Mathematics at Cambridge requires 7 7 6 with a 7 in Higher Level mathematics. Computer science at both universities requires a 7 in mathematics at Higher Level.
Beyond the published offer there is the additional admissions infrastructure. Oxford applicants take subject-specific written tests (the BMAT for medicine, the LNAT for law, the MAT for mathematics, the PAT for physics, the TSA for PPE and similar) plus interview rounds at the college level. Cambridge applicants take the Cambridge Admissions Tests in most subjects plus interviews. IB candidates are not treated differently in either system; the same interview style, the same written test, the same college-level decision process. The IB predicted grades piece covers what Oxbridge does with the prediction at offer stage.
Free Oxbridge IB shortlist
Our Oxbridge IB shortlist matches your child's Higher Level subjects, predicted score and intended degree to the colleges with the strongest IB acceptance records over the past five years. Use the compare tool for side-by-side comparisons of IB schools by Russell Group placement, or talk to our team for tailored advice.
The London cluster
Imperial College London makes some of the most demanding IB offers in the UK. Engineering and the natural sciences typically require 39 to 42 points with 7 6 6 at Higher Level including a 7 in mathematics for the engineering courses. Medicine at Imperial requires 39 points with 7 6 6 at Higher Level including 7 in chemistry and 6 in biology. The Imperial admissions team is highly experienced with IB applications because a meaningful share of Imperial's intake comes from international schools running the Diploma.
LSE makes offers in the 37 to 39 points range for most undergraduate degrees, with subject-specific Higher Level conditions that vary by course. Economics, mathematics and finance courses require 7 in Higher Level mathematics. The international relations and government courses typically require 6 6 6 at Higher Level with specific subject requirements depending on the chosen track. LSE's admissions process for IB students is straightforward and the offers are clearly stated on the LSE website.
UCL makes offers in the 36 to 39 points range across a wide undergraduate portfolio. UCL is one of the most IB-friendly universities in the UK, partly because its faculty includes many IB Diploma graduates and partly because UCL has run dedicated outreach to the international school sector for two decades. King's College London makes offers in the 35 to 38 points range for most courses, with subject-specific Higher Level requirements similar to UCL.
The northern flagships
The northern Russell Group flagships (Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, Liverpool, Newcastle, Durham, York, Birmingham, Nottingham) make IB offers in the 32 to 38 points range. Durham at the high end typically asks 36 to 38 points with 6 6 6 at Higher Level; Manchester sits at 35 to 38; Leeds, Sheffield, Newcastle, Liverpool and Birmingham at 32 to 36 for most courses with subject-specific Higher Level conditions for the selective tracks. The northern flagships are particularly welcoming to international IB students because they have historically been strong in international recruitment.
Warwick sits in the middle of the Russell Group range. Most undergraduate offers cluster at 36 to 38 points with 6 6 6 at Higher Level. Warwick's mathematics, economics and computer science courses are particularly demanding (often 7 7 6 with a 7 in Higher Level mathematics for mathematics or computer science). Bristol, Southampton and Exeter sit at the 34 to 36 points level for most courses; the medicine and dentistry pathways at all three universities are notably more selective and typically require 36 to 38 points with specific Higher Level conditions.
Scottish and Welsh members
Edinburgh, Glasgow, Queen's Belfast and Cardiff are the four Russell Group members outside England. Edinburgh and Glasgow accept the IB Diploma at typical entry scores of 34 to 38 and 32 to 36 respectively, with Scottish-style four-year undergraduate degrees giving the IB applicant an additional year of foundation study compared to the three-year English structure. Edinburgh's medicine, law and the international relations tracks are particularly selective. Glasgow's strengths are in the sciences and the strong arts and social sciences tradition.
Queen's Belfast makes IB offers in the 32 to 36 points range, with medicine and dentistry at the higher end. Cardiff sits in the 32 to 36 points range for most courses with a flagship medical school requiring 36 points with 6 6 6 at Higher Level including 6 in chemistry. The Welsh and Northern Irish Russell Group members offer a strong combination of academic quality and a markedly lower cost of living than the London cluster.
Reading an IB offer
A Russell Group IB offer specifies four things: the total points required, the Higher Level requirement, the Standard Level requirement (if any) and the subject-specific conditions. A typical offer looks like "38 points overall with 7 6 6 at Higher Level including 7 in mathematics and 6 in chemistry". To accept the offer the student must achieve at least 38 total points across the diploma, at least three Higher Levels of which one is 7, two are 6, and within that the mathematics is 7 and the chemistry is 6.
The Higher Level subject conditions matter more than the total. A student who earns 39 total points but a 5 in chemistry rather than a 6 has missed the offer, even though the total is comfortably above 38. Conversely, a student who falls just below the total but meets the subject conditions can sometimes still be accepted on a discretionary appeal at results time, particularly at universities that are filling their cohort. The IB recognition by country reference covers the wider UK university system, and the IB curriculum hub covers the underlying Diploma structure.
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does the Russell Group accept IB applicants?
Yes. All 24 Russell Group universities accept the IB Diploma as equivalent to A-levels. UCAS publishes the official tariff and each university publishes its own IB-specific offer ranges, typically running from 32 to 42 points depending on the course.
What IB score do Oxbridge offers require?
Oxford and Cambridge typically offer 38 to 42 points with subject-specific Higher Level conditions, most commonly 7 7 6 or 7 6 6 at Higher Level. Medicine, mathematics, computer science and the natural sciences usually require a 7 at Higher Level in the subject most closely related to the degree.
Is the IB harder than A-levels for Russell Group entry?
It is broader, not necessarily harder. Russell Group universities treat the IB Diploma as equivalent to A-levels at every tier and make offers in IB-specific points. The IB carries more workload across six subjects but reduces the pressure of a single weak A-level pulling the application down.
Does the IB give any advantage at Russell Group universities?
No formal advantage, but admissions officers read the Extended Essay and Theory of Knowledge as evidence of independent academic work. For courses that value research-style writing (history, English, philosophy, economics, law) the IB profile can be an informal positive signal in close decisions.