University of Portsmouth UCAS Points: 2026 Entry Requirements

Quick answer: Yes — the University of Portsmouth publishes a UCAS Tariff range on every course page. Its degrees run from around 104 to 128 points, and its foundation-year routes start at 56 points, which is DEE at A level.

If you are searching this after results day with a total in the fifties or sixties, that last number is the one that matters. Portsmouth is one of the more useful universities to know about at the low end of the Tariff, because it does not treat a foundation year as a consolation prize hidden behind an enquiry form — it publishes the points figure openly, on the course page, next to the degree it leads into. This page sets out the verified September 2026 figures across that whole span, explains how to read a Portsmouth range, and covers the adjusted offers and subject conditions that sit underneath the headline number.

The low end: 56 points gets you through the door

BSc (Hons) Science with Foundation Year asks for 56 points to include a minimum of 2 A levels, or equivalent. That is DEE at A level, where a D carries 24 points and an E carries 16. Portsmouth lists MPP in a BTEC Extended Diploma and a T Level Pass with D or E in the core as alternative profiles for the same course, and adds that "other qualifications such as Vocational A levels (AVCE), BTECs and Access courses will also be considered".

For context, a full set of three E grades comes to 48 points, so 56 points is not a high bar — it is roughly one grade above the minimum three-subject A-level pass, and less than half what Pharmacy asks for on the same campus. The foundation year then adds a preparatory year in front of the degree itself, so the destination is the same. If you are building a shortlist at this end of the Tariff, universities with low UCAS points in Clearing covers the wider field.

Does the University of Portsmouth use UCAS points?

Yes, and it presents them in an unusually explicit way. Portsmouth's admissions guidance states: "We often show A level grades, BTEC grades and UCAS points as a range." A course page therefore gives you both currencies side by side — "112-120 points from 3 A levels, or equivalent" with "BBB-BBC" printed underneath — so you can check your position whether you think in grades or in points.

The accepted qualifications are listed centrally rather than reinvented per course: A levels, BTEC Extended Diplomas, the International Baccalaureate, T Levels, Access to Higher Education, Scottish Highers and Advanced Highers, the Welsh Baccalaureate and the Irish Leaving Certificate. Portsmouth then adds a caveat worth taking literally: "This isn't a complete list. Get in touch with our Admissions Team if your qualifications aren't listed above – we accept other qualifications and relevant professional experience on many of our courses."

Verified 2026 entry requirements across the range

Three courses show the full span, from foundation entry to Portsmouth's most competitive published figure:

The arithmetic lines up exactly with the current Tariff. An A is 48 points, a B is 40 and a C is 32, so BBB reaches 120 and ABB reaches 128; BCC reaches 104 and BBC reaches 112. Pharmacy also carries a values-based interview with a situational judgement test, an enhanced DBS check and an occupational health assessment — none of which any points total substitutes for.

Reading a Portsmouth range: which end applies to you

A range is not a single condition stated loosely. The lower figure is the minimum Portsmouth will consider for the course, and the upper is what a typical conditional offer looks like; where you land depends on the strength of the rest of your application. Portsmouth's stated approach is that "when making you an offer, we look at more than just your grades" and that applicants are assessed "on their potential, not their predicted grades" — the personal statement, the reference, any interview or portfolio, and relevant experience all feed into which end you are offered.

The practical consequence for planning: treat the top of the range as your working target and the bottom as your realistic floor. If your predicted total sits below the floor, the foundation-year version of the same subject is usually the route Portsmouth will point you towards.

Adjusted offers and Clearing

Portsmouth's contextual scheme is called an adjusted offer. It issues them using established widening participation data and, separately, to applicants from its own region, taking account of "personal circumstances and experiences that may have affected their ability to demonstrate their true academic potential". The adjusted offer "will be lower than the typical course offer and will be signposted in the offer email". Portsmouth does not publish a fixed points reduction, so treat it as a real but unquantified improvement rather than a number you can plan around.

Clearing is the other route in. Because the university already publishes ranges rather than single figures, a Clearing conversation is often about where inside the range you land rather than against a wholly separate standard — and the foundation-year version of a course is frequently the option on the table when the degree itself is out of reach. UCAS points for Clearing explains how those conversations tend to go.

Calculate your UCAS points now

Your next step

Total up your Tariff points first, then compare that number against both ends of the range on your course page — not just the headline. Check whether the course earmarks points for a named subject, as Pharmacy does, and whether it adds an interview or DBS requirement. If you fall below the floor, look at the foundation-year version of the same course before you look elsewhere: at 56 points it is a genuinely different bar, and it leads into the same degree. For the wider picture of what totals reach where, start with how many UCAS points you need, or read what are UCAS points if you are still working out how the Tariff adds up.

University of Portsmouth UCAS points: FAQ

Does the University of Portsmouth use UCAS points?

Yes. Portsmouth states entry requirements as a Tariff points range next to the equivalent grades — "We often show A level grades, BTEC grades and UCAS points as a range" — so Education Studies BA reads as 104 to 112 points, or BBC to BCC.

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

It depends on the course and on which end of the published range you land. Education Studies BA asks for 104 to 112 points, Pharmacy MPharm asks for 120 to 128, and Science with Foundation Year asks for just 56.

What is the lowest UCAS points entry at Portsmouth?

Its foundation-year routes. BSc Science with Foundation Year asks for 56 points including a minimum of two A levels or equivalent, which is DEE at A level — roughly one grade above a straight three-E pass, and less than half the Pharmacy requirement.

Does Portsmouth accept BTECs and T Levels?

Yes. Published profiles include DMM in a BTEC Extended Diploma for Education Studies BA at 104 to 112 points, and MPP for Science with Foundation Year at 56. T Levels are accepted at Merit for most degrees and at Pass with D or E in the core for foundation years.

Does Portsmouth make contextual offers?

Yes, called adjusted offers. Portsmouth issues them using widening participation data and to applicants from its own region, stating the adjusted offer "will be lower than the typical course offer and will be signposted in the offer email". It does not publish a fixed reduction.