UCAS Clearing 2026: Everything You Need to Know (Dates, How It Works, Tips)

UCAS Clearing is how tens of thousands of students find a university place every year — not as a last resort, but as a genuine route into good universities and good courses. In 2024, around 74,000 students secured a place through Clearing. In 2025, that number was higher.

If you're worried you might need Clearing, or you're already in it, this guide covers everything: the exact 2026 dates, how to call universities, which courses appear, and how to give yourself the best chance.

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What Is UCAS Clearing?

Clearing is the system UCAS runs from July to October each year to match applicants with course vacancies. Universities that still have places on their courses list them in Clearing, and applicants who need a place can apply directly.

You can use Clearing if any of the following apply:

• You did not receive any offers during the main application round
• You received offers but did not meet the conditions (missed your Firm or Insurance grades)
• You declined all your offers
• You applied after 30 June — late applications automatically enter Clearing
• You want to swap to a different course or university after results day (see self-release below)

Clearing is not a consolation prize. In 2025, higher-tariff universities took a larger share of Clearing placements than in any year since 2020. Russell Group universities including Manchester, Edinburgh, Leeds, and Warwick all had hundreds of courses available.

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2026 Key Dates

Date	What Happens
2 July 2026	Clearing officially opens — course vacancies start appearing
30 June 2026	Applications received after this date automatically enter Clearing
13 August 2026	A-level results day — results available from 8:00am
13 August 2026, 1:00pm	Earliest you can add a Clearing choice in UCAS Hub
19 October 2026	Clearing closes — final deadline to add a Clearing choice

Results day is always the second Thursday of August. For 2026, that is Thursday 13 August.

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Who Does Not Participate in Clearing

Four Russell Group universities virtually never offer Clearing places:

• University of Oxford
• University of Cambridge
• Imperial College London
• London School of Economics (LSE)

For all other universities — including the rest of the Russell Group — Clearing is a real option with genuine course availability.

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How Clearing Actually Works: Step by Step

Before results day (from 2 July)

Start researching now. The UCAS Clearing search tool lists vacancies in real time from 2 July. You do not need to be in Clearing to browse it.

• Identify five to ten courses that interest you
• Check their entry requirements (some may be lower than the standard offer)
• Note each university's Clearing phone number — every university publishes one
• Re-read your personal statement and refresh your memory on why you chose your subject
• Prepare a short answer to "why do you want to study this course?"
• Have ready: your UCAS ID, Clearing number (shown in UCAS Hub), grades, email, and phone number

On results day (13 August)

8:00am — Results are released. Check them via your school, the school's results portal, or UCAS Hub (under the Track tab). UCAS Hub will show whether you have been unconditionally confirmed (your Firm offer is met), conditionally confirmed, or are in Clearing.

If you are in Clearing, your Clearing number appears in UCAS Hub. You will need this for every call you make.

What to do next:

1. Open the UCAS Clearing search tool — the only official, real-time vacancy list
2. Search for your subject and shortlist universities
3. Call universities directly — each one publishes its own Clearing hotline
4. When the admissions officer answers, give your Clearing number and UCAS ID immediately
5. Ask whether they will accept you on the specific course you want
6. Collect informal verbal offers from multiple universities before deciding
7. From 1:00pm, add your chosen Clearing place in UCAS Hub
8. The university confirms and your status updates to "Clearing accepted"

You can only hold one Clearing choice in your UCAS Hub at any given time. Get several informal offers first, then pick the one you want.

Calling tips that actually work

• Call yourself — admissions staff want to speak to the applicant, not a parent or guardian. The call is an informal interview.
• Lines are busiest 8am–11am. If you cannot get through, work down your list and try again. Many students find calling from 11am onwards is faster.
• Be specific about the course. "I'm interested in Computer Science BSc" is better than "do you have any courses available?"
• Explain your grades honestly and briefly if they are below the advertised requirement. "I missed my predicted by one grade but I have AAB and I'm genuinely passionate about this subject" is much better than silence or vague excuses.
• Ask about accommodation if you are accepting a place — availability fills up quickly on results day.
• Take notes. Write down the name of the person you spoke to, the time, the course, and exactly what was offered.

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Which Subjects Appear in Clearing

In 2025, approximately 27,000 courses were listed in Clearing. These subjects consistently have the most vacancies:

High availability:

• Business and Management
• Engineering (civil, mechanical, electrical)
• Computer Science and Computing
• English Literature and Creative Writing
• History
• Social Sciences (Sociology, Criminology, Politics)
• Media, Journalism, and Communications
• Sport and Exercise Science
• Languages

Medium availability:

• Psychology
• Nursing (through NHS-partnership courses)
• Architecture
• Education and Primary Teaching

Rarely or never in Clearing:

• Medicine — regulatory intake caps mean near-zero Clearing places; the very occasional exception disappears within hours
• Dentistry — clinical placement constraints
• Veterinary Science — RCVS accreditation requirements
• Anything at Oxford or Cambridge

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Do Universities Lower Their Grade Requirements in Clearing?

Yes — but not automatically, and not dramatically.

Universities with unfilled vacancies have genuine flexibility. One grade below the advertised requirement is a reasonable expectation in many cases. More than one grade below requires strong compensating factors: a compelling reason, clear subject motivation, or contextual circumstances.

Admissions officers on the phone have real discretion. The grade advertised in Clearing may already be lower than the standard offer. Always check the Clearing entry requirement (displayed next to the course) rather than assuming it is the same as the main cycle.

What matters on the call:

• How you come across
• Whether you know why you want to study the subject
• Whether you have clearly read the course details
• Whether your other grades or experience compensate

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Clearing vs Self-Release: What About Adjustment?

UCAS Adjustment no longer exists. It was removed in 2021 because very few students used it.

What replaced it is self-release — if you did better than expected and want to aim for a higher-tariff university than your Firm choice, you can:

1. Log into UCAS Hub
2. Click "Decline my place"
3. Confirm you want to release yourself into Clearing
4. Your Clearing number appears and you can contact universities with higher entry requirements

This is irreversible. Your original place is gone the moment you decline it. Only self-release if you have already spoken to your target university and they have given you an informal offer. Do not self-release on the assumption you will find something better.

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Russell Group Universities in Clearing 2025

To give a sense of real availability, here are approximate course vacancy counts from the 2025 cycle at selected universities:

University	Courses in Clearing 2025
University of Glasgow	634
University of Manchester	362
University of Southampton	338
University of Edinburgh	317
University of Leeds	238
University of Nottingham	226
University of Liverpool	211
Cardiff University	208
Queen's University Belfast	207
University of Warwick	177
University of Sheffield	189
Newcastle University	138
King's College London	95
University of Exeter	110
University College London	28
University of Birmingham	73

These are illustrative — course availability changes daily during Clearing. The UCAS search tool is the only authoritative real-time source.

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Your Personal Statement in Clearing

Universities can see your original personal statement during Clearing. If you are calling about a completely different subject from the one you originally applied for, be ready to explain why on the call — the statement alone will not do this for you.

If your statement is weak and you are in Clearing after missing grades, there is an argument for reviewing it before any remaining Extra or Clearing applications. A strong statement gives admissions staff a reason to say yes even when grades are borderline.

The standard of UCAS review does not change in Clearing. Admissions tutors still read statements. Whether yours gives them a reason to pick up the phone and offer you a place is exactly what a reviewed, improved statement is designed to do.

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The Bottom Line

Clearing is a legitimate route to a university place, used by tens of thousands of students every year including many who end up at Russell Group universities. The students who do best in Clearing are the ones who prepared — who have a shortlist, know what they want to say, call early, and come across as genuinely motivated rather than desperate.

Results day is stressful. Having a plan makes it manageable.