Applying to university

Kent accepts a wide range of qualifications, and we always try to judge applications on the basis of academic potential. See our entry requirements page for more information.

You need to know the UCAS code for the degree programme you want to study. These are all listed in our courses A-Z.

Our UCAS institution code is K24 and our code name is KENT.

Full-time applicants

We make a decision on your application as soon as possible. This will be confirmed via UCAS. You can enquire about your application by contacting the Recruitment and Admissions Office through the KentVision application portal. You can also check the status of your application via the UCAS website.

You must satisfy the conditions of your offer by 31 August (of the year of entry). The University may withdraw offers not confirmed by this date.

Part-time applicants

We make a decision on your application as soon as possible. This will be confirmed via the KentVision portal – you will receive an email letting you know of any change to your application. You can enquire about your application by contacting the Recruitment and Admissions Office through the KentVision application portal.

Most programmes do not require you to attend an interview. See the entry requirements tab on the programme page to find out if an interview is required as part of the selection process.

Kent accepts applications more than 12 months before the date of admission, but this does not guarantee that requests for deferral will be approved. The maximum period allowed for deferral is one academic year.

If you are applying for deferred entry, you must state this on your UCAS application. It is also advisable to give some indication of how you will spend the intervening year, ie travelling, voluntary work or paid work.

When should full-time applicants apply for deferred entry?

We will consider applications for deferred entry in 2025 on the same basis as those for entry in 2024. You should apply in the usual way during 2024/25 and you are expected to meet the conditions of an offer by the summer of 2024.

Received an offer from Kent? Head to our applicants site to book a visit, apply for accommodation and find out what funding is available so you can focus on your studies and get ready to join us in September.

You will receive confirmation of your offer directly from UCAS. If you do not understand the conditions of your offer please contact the Recruitment and Admissions Office at Kent. Our Undergraduate Prospectus includes details of our general admission requirements and entry qualifications.  

The University receives results electronically from Edexcel, OCR, AQA, SQA and WJEC examining boards for AS and A levels. If you are taking other qualifications, or your A/AS levels and Vocational A levels (VCEs) are with any other examining board, please ensure that you provide full copies of your results to the University as soon as they are available. You can upload these via the My Applications page in KentVision.

In addition, if you have to complete any GCSE qualifications as a condition of your offer, please make sure that the results are provided to the University as soon as possible.

If you are an International Baccalaureate student please supply confirmation to the International Baccalaureate Organisation that your results can be released to UCAS.

We cannot guarantee to honour any offer of a place or accommodation if we have not received your results by 31 August (of the year of entry). Please let us know if you do not expect your results until after that date.

If your exam results only fall short by a small margin your application is automatically reconsidered. Depending on the results of the other candidates and the number of places available, we can usually offer a few places to students who have not quite reached their offer. In these circumstances, we give priority to students who are holding Kent as their Conditional Firm (CF) choice as opposed to an Insurance choice.

We may offer you a place on an alternative course in a similar subject area, so if you are prepared to be flexible your chances of gaining a place increase. A number of science subjects also offer foundation courses, which lead to a degree programme, for example, Forensic Science and Physics.

The University normally takes special circumstances that may have an adverse effect on your examination performance (for example, illness or family difficulties) into account, provided you inform us either before or at the time you take your exams. If you wait until after your results, we will need to know why you did not tell us sooner.

Independent evidence is essential, for example, from a doctor, teacher or social services. In the case of illness or health problems, we require dates when you were affected and the dates of each of your exams, with supporting medical certificates if appropriate.

You need to tell us if you have applied for any form of compensation, such as extra time, from the examining authority. If you keep us informed, we try to make a fair decision in the light of the evidence you provide, but we cannot guarantee that we will be able to accept you.

If you are unsuccessful in gaining a place, this does not prevent you from applying to Kent again in the future, especially if you are retaking your exams or taking additional qualifications.  

Conditional offers usually take into consideration all the examinations you have taken and those you have indicated you will take in the future (unless otherwise stated in your offer). If you change the exams you are taking in any respect it is very important, in your own interest, that you inform us as soon as possible in writing. This includes changes to any aspect of the examination details in your application, such as changes of date, examining board or centre number.

If you take GCE exams in November or January and then decide to retake in June, you should tell us. If, for any reason, you think there might be an error in your offer (for instance, if three A levels are asked for and you said you were only taking two), please contact us immediately.

UCAS normally sends you notification of your place being confirmed within two weeks of the publication of your results. Following confirmation of your place, in late August we send you an email confirming your Kent ID number and including a link to the Getting Started at Kent booklet, which provides information on the enrolment and registration process and Welcome Week. You then complete enrolment on our Getting Started website.

First-year students will be able to access Stage 1 module choice information and preliminary reading lists as part of the online enrolment process.

We aim to keep in contact with you throughout the application year, normally by email newsletter, to keep you up to date with events happening at Kent.

Deferred entry is if you want your application to be considered for the next academic year. Subject to you satisfying the conditions of your offer, your deferred entry place will be confirmed via UCAS.

For more information about deferred entry, see our how to apply page.

If English is not your first language, you will need to produce evidence of English ability in order to satisfy the University’s general entry requirements. Please see English language entry requirements.

Any requirements will be specified in your offer. If you require an educational visa to study in the UK, you should check the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) website to ensure that your English language qualification meets the Student visa requirements for entry purposes.

You need to demonstrate a good level of English language skills to study at degree level. If you need help to reach this level we offer a number of courses in English and academic skills.