Are you a BTEC student and thinking about applying to university? Find out everything you need to know about university entry requirements and whether universities accept BTEC qualifications in our latest blog.

If you’re wondering if you can get into university with BTEC qualifications, we’ve written this blog just for you. Read on to discover:

• What are university entry requirements and why are they important?

• Do all universities accept BTECs?

• How to find out what BTEC entry requirements you need for a course

• Who can I ask for help with undergraduate entry requirements?

What are university entry requirements and why are they important?

University requirements are formal criteria that you need to meet to be considered for a place on a degree course.

Entry requirements are set by the university to ensure that they offer places to students who have the skills, knowledge, and ability to progress through the course and graduate with a degree to be proud of. When applying to undergraduate courses, these university entry requirements are often also referred to as UCAS entry requirements – but don’t worry, they’re the same thing!

Entry requirements vary by course, and throughout the application journey might include a mix of qualifications (such as GCSEs, BTECs, or International Baccalaureates), UCAS points, admissions tests, interviews, auditions, or portfolios.

When researching courses and universities to apply to, pay close attention to the university’s entry requirements. It’s best to apply to courses with requirements that it’s possible to achieve. Many students apply to a selection of universities with different entry requirements, so that they have a back-up option if they don’t achieve the grades they’d hoped for.

Do all universities accept BTECS?

When applying to an undergraduate degree, the first entry requirements that universities will consider will be your actual or predicted grades for your post-16 qualifications. These might be GCSEs, BTECs, Scottish Highers and Advanced Highers, Welsh Baccalaureate, International Baccalaureate, and more.

Around 95% of UK universities accept BTECs in their entry requirements. This includes Russell Group universities, too. BTEC students who achieve good grades are just as sought-after as A-Level students, and are sometimes even better prepared for undergraduate study, due to the independent learning and portfolio-based nature of BTEC courses.

How to find out what BTEC entry requirements you need for a course

All universities will list their entry requirements on the course information webpage. Some printed prospectuses will also include this information, but it’s best to look at their websites – as there they have room to list all the qualifications and grades they accept.

Here at Newcastle, you can find the BTEC entry requirements on each course page. If you’re ready to explore our undergraduate subjects and their BTEC entry requirements, find out more in our subject explorer.

Who can I ask for help with undergraduate entry requirements?

If you need help or reassurance about your BTECs and entry requirements to the course you’d like to study, you can contact our dedicated Student Services team by phone or by filling in their online form. They’re waiting to hear from you!

If you’re a BTEC student and thinking about applying to university, we hope you’ve found this blog useful! From everything you need to know about BTEC entry requirements for your dream degree to potential career paths after you graduate, discover the possibilities in our subject explorer.