Contextualised Admissions

At the University of Chester, we welcome students from all backgrounds and consider a wide range of qualifications. We look at each application carefully and take into account your individual circumstances, achievements, and potential.

We consider a variety of Level 3 qualifications, including:

  • A Levels
  • BTEC and OCR Cambridge Technical qualifications
  • Access to HE Diplomas
  • WJEC Level 3 Applied Diplomas
  • Welsh Baccalaureate
  • International Baccalaureate
  • Scottish and Irish Highers
  • Open University Courses
  • T Levels
  • Professional and vocational qualifications

Some courses require an interview, audition, or portfolio review as part of the selection process. After we complete an initial assessment of your application, you’ll be invited to a selection event if you are shortlisted.

Please visit our course pages for detailed, course-specific entry requirements.  If the qualifications you are taking are not listed, please contact our admissions teams for further guidance.

If you are applying from outside the UK, please visit our International pages for country-specific entry requirements.

Types of offers

When you receive your offer from the University of Chester, it will fall into one of the following categories:

Unconditional Offer

You will receive an unconditional offer if you already meet all entry requirements at the point of application — for example, if you have completed your Level 3 qualifications or are a mature student.

Please note that we don’t make unconditional offers to applicants who are still completing their studies. 

Conditional Offer

If you are still working towards your qualifications or awaiting your exam results, you may receive a conditional offer. This means your place will depend on achieving certain grades or meeting specific criteria.

Changed Course Offer

Sometimes, after reviewing your application, we may feel that a different course would be a better fit for you.  In these cases, we will make a changed course offer through UCAS. You can choose whether or not to accept it.

Contextual Offers

At Chester, we’re committed to ensuring that everyone with the talent and ambition to study with us has the opportunity to do so. We understand that no two journeys are the same. Your path to education may have included challenges, responsibilities, or circumstances that shaped your achievements in unique ways.

That’s why we use contextual offers as part of our admissions process. These help us look beyond your grades to gain a fuller picture of your experiences. We consider the environment in which you studied, any barriers you may have faced, and the opportunities available to you.

By taking these factors into account, we can better recognise your hard work, your potential, and your readiness to succeed at university. Our goal is to make sure that everyone who has the drive and ability to thrive here gets the chance to take that next step.

At Chester, a contextual offer may:

  • Lower your entry requirements by one or two grades, or
  • Offer an alternative pathway, such as a foundation year
  • Request additional information or invite you to interview

Who is eligible?

You may be eligible for a contextual offer if any of the following apply:

  • You live in a low participation neighbourhood (POLAR 4, Quintile 1 or IMD Quintile 1)
  • You attend a state school, college or academy with below-average progression to higher education
  • You are care-experienced or estranged from your family
  • You are a young carer
  • You currently receive free school meals

All GCSE and subject-specific requirements will still apply.

Contextual offers are available to Home (UK) students applying for the first year of an undergraduate degree (excluding foundation years).

There is no need for a separate application — we will review the information you have provided in your UCAS application form and may contact you, your school or college if we need more details.  Do make sure you declare any relevant circumstances (free school meals, care-experienced, estranged, young carer, etc.) so that we can assess your eligibility.

If you narrowly miss the conditions of your offer, we’ll review any additional contextual information before making a final decision on your application. This helps us make a fair, informed choice based on your full circumstances—not just your results.

Our commitment to widening access to university is outlined in the University’s Access and Participation Plan.