University of Edinburgh UCAS Points: 2026 Entry Requirements

Quick answer: No — the University of Edinburgh does not use UCAS Tariff points. Every 2026 requirement is published as grades, and published twice: once in Scottish Highers and once in A-levels. Law asks for AAAAA at Higher or A*A*A* to A*AA at A-level; the widening access minimum for the same degree is ABB at A-level.

That double publication is what makes Edinburgh different from an English university page. A Scottish applicant and an English applicant reading the same degree page see two entirely different grade strings, in two qualifications with different Tariff values, both leading to the same course. Add Edinburgh's split between standard and minimum entry requirements and there are four numbers on one page. This guide untangles them using Edinburgh's own 2026 degree finder entries, then converts each into Tariff points so you can compare Edinburgh against the rest of your UCAS list.

Does the University of Edinburgh use UCAS points?

No. Nothing in Edinburgh's entry requirements section is expressed as a Tariff total — not the Highers pages, not the A-levels page, not the individual 2026 programme pages. Requirements are stated qualification by qualification, and you must meet them within that qualification.

Edinburgh is also unusually blunt about extras that would boost a Tariff score. On the Extended Project, its A-levels guidance states: "We do not require the EPQ or AEA for entry and they do not normally provide additional credit in the selection process." An EPQ at grade A is worth 24 Tariff points at a points-based university and nothing at Edinburgh. The wider split between the two kinds of university is covered in do all universities use UCAS points, and the mechanics of the Tariff itself in what are UCAS points.

Standard and minimum: two requirements on every degree page

Edinburgh publishes two thresholds for each programme. Standard entry requirements are the grades expected of applicants not eligible for a widening access offer, and Edinburgh notes it expresses these "as either a single set of grades, or a range of grades" — the range is why Law's A-level requirement appears as A*A*A* down to A*AA rather than one figure. Minimum entry requirements sit lower: "Our minimum entry requirements are for applicants eligible for a widening access Plus Flag offer."

For Scottish applicants there is a third dimension: when you achieve the grades. Edinburgh's guidance requires "at least BBB at Higher, in one year of S4 to S6" for standard entry, and its most competitive degrees prefer the full set by the end of S5, leaving S6 free for Advanced Highers.

Edinburgh's 2026 offers in Highers and in A-levels

Three programmes across the range, taken from Edinburgh's 2026 degree finder entries:

Each carries subject conditions on top: Law needs Higher English at B at first attempt, Computer Science needs Higher Mathematics at A with Higher Applications of Mathematics explicitly not accepted, and Nursing Studies adds an interview. Nursing Studies also shows a case worth noticing — its A-level standard and minimum are identical at ABB, so the Plus Flag changes nothing for an A-level applicant on that degree while still lowering the Highers requirement.

What Edinburgh's grades are worth on the UCAS Tariff

The Tariff values the two qualifications very differently, which is why the two columns above look so unbalanced. A Scottish Higher at grade A carries 33 points and a grade B carries 27, so Law's standard AAAAA comes to 165 points across five subjects, while Computer Science's Plus Flag minimum of AABB comes to 120 and Law's ABBB comes to 114. The per-grade values are set out at Scottish Highers UCAS points, and how Highers sit in the Scottish system is explained in Scottish Highers explained.

The A-level side converts differently again: A*A*A* is 168 points, A*AA is 152, AAB is 136 and ABB is 128 points. So an A-level applicant meeting Law's top standard requirement carries 168 Tariff points against a Scottish applicant's 165 for five A grades — near-identical totals, reached by very different routes.

Access Edinburgh: what a Flag and a Plus Flag actually do

Edinburgh assesses contextual data from your UCAS application and may award one of two markers. A Plus Flag means you "will be considered based on minimum entry requirements, which we sometimes refer to as widening access entry requirements." A Flag means you "will be considered based on standard entry requirements, but in most cases their application will be prioritised."

The Plus Flag is the one that moves grades, and it moves them a long way: Law's A-level requirement drops from a standard range beginning at A*A*A* to ABB, a gap of 40 Tariff points. Eligibility rests on UK permanent residence plus criteria including a home postcode in the lowest SIMD quintile, Acorn 6, or POLAR quintile 1 for state school applicants in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. Edinburgh is careful not to overpromise: it cannot guarantee every Plus Flag applicant an offer, because place numbers and demand still apply. How other universities structure the same idea is compared in contextual offers explained.

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Where to look before you apply

Open your programme's 2026 entry requirements page and read all four numbers: standard and minimum, in your own qualification. Check the required subjects and the National 5 or GCSE lines, and if you are applying from Scotland check whether your degree expects the grades by the end of S5. Then convert your predictions into a Tariff total for the other four choices on your form, where a points-based offer may well be the condition you actually have to meet — how many UCAS points do I need sets out what each band opens up.

University of Edinburgh UCAS points: FAQ

Does the University of Edinburgh use UCAS points?

No. Edinburgh publishes its 2026 requirements as grades in each qualification separately — Law asks for AAAAA at Higher or A*A*A* to A*AA at A-level. No page in its entry requirements section refers to a Tariff total, and the EPQ carries no selection credit.

How many UCAS points do you need for the University of Edinburgh?

There is no points target. For comparison only, five Highers at grade A come to 165 Tariff points and an A-level offer of ABB comes to 128. The condition is always the grades themselves, in one qualification, not the total they add up to.

What is the difference between minimum and standard entry requirements?

Standard requirements apply to everyone not eligible for a widening access offer. Minimum requirements are lower and apply to Plus Flag applicants. Computer Science BSc asks for AAAAA at Higher as standard and AABB by the end of S6 as its minimum.

Does the University of Edinburgh accept Advanced Highers?

Yes. Edinburgh treats grades B and C at Advanced Higher as equivalent to grades A and B at Higher, so an S6 year can lift an S5 result. It will not count a Higher and an Advanced Higher in the same subject as two separate qualifications.

What are contextual offers at Edinburgh?

Edinburgh awards a Flag or a Plus Flag from your UCAS data. A Plus Flag means you are considered against the lower minimum entry requirements — ABB at A-level for Law rather than a standard range starting at A*A*A*. A Flag prioritises your application at standard requirements.