104 UCAS Points: One Grade Off the Most Common Offer

Quick answer: 104 UCAS points is one grade away from 112 — the most common university offer level in the UK. It already opens a wide range of degree courses, and the gap to the most competitive standard offer is smaller than it might feel.

The proximity to 112 is the defining feature of this band

Most UCAS points pages talk about what the number opens on its own. For 104, there is another story worth telling first: where you are relative to 112.

112 UCAS points — BBC at A-level — is the single most common entry requirement at UK universities. More courses list this figure than any other. A student at 104 is eight points short of the most widely-used threshold in UK admissions.

Eight points. At A-level, that is one grade in one subject. Changing a single C to a B closes the gap entirely. An EPQ at almost any grade above E would also do it. This is not a long stretch — it is a genuinely short one, and it is worth being clear about that before anything else.

None of which means 104 is inadequate. It is not. A student with 104 points has real, immediate, meaningful options. But one of those options is "get eight more points before you apply," and for students with time before results day, that is often the highest-value move.

All the routes to 104 points

One thing the routes table above makes clear: 104 is a number that is mostly reached through A-level combinations rather than a single BTEC Extended Diploma grade, because no single BTEC Extended Diploma grade sits exactly on 104. The common BCC combination, or CCC plus an EPQ at a modest grade, are the most typical routes. If you are on a vocational route, a mixed combination is the most likely path.

Where 104 sits on the tariff

104 sits between the CCC band (96) below and the BBC band (112) above. Both of those are widely-used offer levels, and 104 is bracketed by them. That means two things: the courses available to you at 104 largely overlap with what is available at 96 (you are competing for the same places) and the course range at 112 is the slightly wider set just above you.

Real courses that ask for 104 points

The course examples above show the spread of degrees that operate at this level. Psychology, business, sport, computing, and health courses all appear regularly at the 104-point threshold. These are not residual offers — they are the active, mainstream entry requirements for popular, well-subscribed degrees at established universities.

What 104 points already unlocks

You do not need to reach 112 to have good options. The courses at 104 are varied and genuinely substantial:

Business, management and marketing sit naturally in this range, with hundreds of courses across post-92 institutions and some other universities setting entry in the 96–112 bracket.

Psychology and social sciences — criminology, sociology, social work, and psychology programmes regularly list offers at or near 104. These are large, well-staffed departments with strong graduate employment.

Computing and media — software development, cybersecurity, media production, and digital marketing degrees all commonly list 104-point entry requirements at modern universities.

Sport science and health — physical education, sport coaching, nutrition, and some nursing access routes sit in this range. Check subject-specific GCSE conditions, which sometimes apply alongside the points requirement.

Foundation years into higher-entry universities — if your target institution normally asks for 120 or above, a foundation year route from 104 is often available and leads into Year 1 of the full degree.

Your next step

Your position at 104 is a strong one, and the decision is straightforward: use it as it is, or spend a small amount of time making it a bit larger.

If a course you want accepts 104: apply with confidence. 104 is solidly in range for a wide set of degrees, and you are not stretching to make it work.

If your target course asks for 112: you need one grade in one subject. Read how to get more UCAS points for the specific options — EPQ, grade improvement, extra qualification — and calculate which is most realistic for your situation. Moving from 104 to 112 is one of the most achievable single-step improvements in the Tariff.

On results day: if things do not go to plan, 104 points in Clearing is a genuinely competitive position for a large number of courses. The UCAS Clearing 2026 guide is worth reading in advance so the process is familiar when you need it.