Liverpool John Moores University UCAS Points: 2026 Entry Requirements

Quick answer: Yes, LJMU uses UCAS points — but it never publishes a points total on its own. Every course page prints one line, "Grades/points required from qualifications", and answers it with both at once: BBC (112), CCD (88), DDD (72). The grades and the points are the same condition written twice.

This page sets out what Liverpool John Moores University asks for, using figures taken from LJMU's own course pages. One caveat matters for timing: LJMU's September 2026 course pages have been switched over to Clearing content mid-cycle, so the standard grade offers below come from the 2027-entry version of the same course pages, and the September 2026 column shows the Clearing minimum LJMU published for that intake. Both are labelled in the table.

How LJMU writes an offer

Most points-based universities pick a side. They either quote a Tariff total and leave you to work out the grades, or quote grades and never mention the Tariff. LJMU does neither. It resolves the question in one line and then repeats the number in a bracket, so an applicant holding a BTEC and an applicant holding three A-levels are reading the same requirement.

That has a practical consequence. Because the bracketed number is the arithmetic of the grade string, you can substitute qualifications freely up to that total — but only within the counting rules LJMU sets out further down the same page, which are stricter than the bracket suggests.

What LJMU asks for, by course

The spread is the useful part. A single university runs from DDD, which is 72 Tariff points, up to BBB at 120, and the gap between the standard offer and the Clearing minimum is 32 points on Accounting and Finance and only 8 on Criminology and Sociology. If you are reading these numbers in results week, the Clearing points guide explains why those two figures move independently.

The rules that cap what you can count

Two lines on the LJMU course page do more work than the headline number. Accounting and Finance states "Minimum Number of A Levels: 2" and "Maximum AS UCAS Points: 20". Psychology repeats both and adds "General Studies: Not accepted".

Twenty points is the ceiling for a grade-A AS-level and nothing beyond it, so a second AS cannot be stacked on top. Read together with the two-A-level minimum, this means the bulk of an LJMU total has to come from full Level 3 qualifications, and AS-levels act only as a top-up. If you are 8 points short of BBC, an AS at grade B closes it; if you are 40 short, it will not.

GCSEs: the grade 4 baseline

Nearly every LJMU course requires "Grade 4 or grade C or above in English Language and Mathematics/Numeracy". What sets LJMU apart is that it names its accepted alternatives in full rather than saying "or equivalent": Key Skills Level 2 in English or Maths, NVQ Level 2 Functional Skills, Skills for Life Level 2, the Higher Diploma in Maths or English, and the Northern Ireland and Wales Essential Skills Level 2 awards in Communication or Application of Number. GCSEs themselves carry no Tariff value at all, but without them an offer is not made.

Foundation years and the published 16-point reduction

If your total falls short, LJMU's integrated foundation year is the documented route in. The university states that "typical entry requirements for a degree with a foundation year are 72 to 96 UCAS Tariff points", and that student finance covers the foundation year alongside the rest of the degree when you select the "Extended" version of the course. That band overlaps the bottom of the standard offers above, so a foundation year at LJMU is often the same points total attached to a four-year course rather than a three-year one.

On reduced offers, LJMU is deliberately unspecific in one place and specific in another. Each course page carries the same paragraph: LJMU is "dedicated to widening participation in education", takes additional information in your application into account, and "may make an offer lower than our typical entry requirements". No size is attached. The one published number sits on its outreach pages, where Summer University participants "may be eligible for a reduced offer of up to 16 UCAS Points lower than the standard entry requirements". Sixteen points is two A-level grades, or the difference between BBC and BCD.

Calculate your UCAS points now

Your next step

Work out your own total first, then read the LJMU course page for the exact grade string rather than the bracket alone — the two-A-level minimum and the AS cap are what usually decide whether a total actually qualifies. If you are still getting your bearings, start with what UCAS points are and how many UCAS points you need. If the number lands short, compare it against what you can study with your points, or read how UCAS points are calculated to check nothing has been left out. Applicants weighing LJMU against the older institution across the city should also look at University of Liverpool UCAS points, which works on grades rather than a Tariff total.

Liverpool John Moores UCAS points: FAQ

Does Liverpool John Moores University use UCAS points?

Yes. LJMU prints one line on every course page — "Grades/points required from qualifications" — and gives both at once, such as BBC (112) for Accounting and Finance or CCD (88) for Civil Engineering. The grade string and the points total are the same condition.

How many UCAS points do you need for LJMU?

Between 72 and 120 across the courses checked here. Criminology and Sociology asks DDD (72), Civil Engineering CCD (88), Business Management BBC (112) and Psychology BBB (120). In September 2026 Clearing, LJMU listed several of the same courses from 64 points.

Do AS-levels count towards an LJMU offer?

Yes, but they are capped. Course pages state "Maximum AS UCAS Points 20", which is one A-grade AS-level and nothing more. LJMU also sets a minimum of two full A-levels on many courses, so AS-levels top up a total rather than build one.

What GCSEs does LJMU require?

Grade 4 or grade C or above in English Language and Mathematics or Numeracy on most courses. LJMU names its accepted equivalents in full, including Level 2 Functional Skills, Key Skills Level 2, and the Northern Ireland and Wales Essential Skills awards.

Does LJMU make reduced offers?

Yes. Course pages say LJMU "may make an offer lower than our typical entry requirements" for eligible applicants but attach no number. The one published figure is for its Summer University: participants "may be eligible for a reduced offer of up to 16 UCAS Points".