If you’re applying to start university in autumn 2027, the date that matters most is 13 January 2027 at 6pm. This guide explains that deadline, the earlier one for Oxford, Cambridge and medicine, and every other date between now and next summer.
The deadlines at a glance
- 15 October 2026, 6pm: Oxford, Cambridge, and most medicine, dentistry and veterinary courses.
- 13 January 2027, 6pm: the main deadline for almost every other course.
- 25 February 2027: UCAS Extra opens, for people who have used all five choices and have no offers.
- Early May and early June 2027: deadlines to reply to your offers, depending on when your last decision arrives.
- 30 June 2027: after this, new applications go straight into Clearing.
- 2 July 2027: Clearing opens.
15 October: Oxford, Cambridge, medicine, dentistry and vet
If any of your choices is at Oxford or Cambridge, or is a medicine, dentistry or veterinary course, your application has to reach UCAS by 6pm on 15 October 2026. You can include your other choices at the same time, or apply with fewer than five and add the rest later (see “Adding choices” below).
If you miss it, you can’t apply to those courses this year. You can still apply for other courses by the January deadline.
13 January: the one most people need
For most courses, the deadline is 6pm on 13 January 2027. Universities guarantee to give equal consideration to every application that arrives by then.
What “equal consideration” means
It means a university treats an application sent on 12 January exactly the same as one sent in September. Sending yours early doesn’t get you a better chance of an offer at most universities, as long as it arrives before the deadline.
That said, there are good reasons not to leave it until January:
- A few courses fill up early and stop accepting applications.
- You may hear back sooner, which makes planning easier.
- January is when schools, teachers and UCAS are busiest.
- It gives you time to fix problems before the deadline, such as a missing reference.
What if you miss 13 January?
You can still apply until 30 June 2027, but your application counts as late. Universities don’t have to consider late applications, and popular courses may already be full. Less competitive courses often still accept them, so it’s worth checking with the university before giving up on a course.
After you apply: offers and replies
Universities send their decisions through UCAS Hub. Most applicants hear between October and May.
- Changing your mind: within 14 days of the date on your UCAS welcome email, you can swap a choice for a different one, once per choice.
- Adding choices: if you applied with fewer than five, you can add more before 30 June, as long as you haven’t replied to any offers yet. A choice added after its course’s deadline (13 January for most) counts as late.
- Replying to offers: once you’ve heard from all your choices, you pick a firm choice (your first preference) and an insurance choice (a back-up, usually with a lower offer). Your reply deadline depends on when your last decision arrives: early May if you’ve heard from everyone by 31 March, or early June if your last decision comes by 12 May. UCAS Hub shows your exact date, so check it there.
UCAS Extra: if you have no offers
If you used all five choices and didn’t get an offer, or you declined all your offers, UCAS Extra lets you apply for one more course at a time. It opens on 25 February 2027 and runs until early July. Many courses with places left are listed in the UCAS search tool.
30 June and Clearing
After 30 June 2027, any new application goes straight into Clearing, which opens on 2 July 2027. Clearing is also how people find a place after results day in August if they missed their offers or changed their mind. We’ll publish a full Clearing guide before the summer.
Your checklist
- Find your school’s internal deadline and put it in your calendar.
- Finish your personal statement early enough for a teacher to read it.
- Use the UCAS choices planner to check your five choices are balanced.
- Submit before 6pm on 13 January 2027 (or 15 October 2026 for Oxford, Cambridge, medicine, dentistry or vet).
- After that, check UCAS Hub regularly and note your reply deadline.
Sources
- University of Bath: Important dates for undergraduate applicants starting in 2027
- UCAS: Making changes to your application after you apply
- UCAS: Extra
- Save My Exams: UCAS deadlines and key dates 2026/2027
- University of East London: UCAS deadlines explained for 2026 and 2027 entry
Facts last checked on 8 October 2026. Dates and rules change each year, so always check UCAS and the university’s own website.