Access to Bristol

Access to Bristol provides local students with an opportunity to experience life at the University of Bristol.

Applications for Access to Bristol 2024-25 have now closed.

Notify me when Access to Bristol 2025-26 applications open

What is Access to Bristol?
Eligibility
Benefits
Term dates and times
Subjects

What is Access to Bristol?

The Access to Bristol scheme is for local students taking A-levels, BTECs, Access to HE courses or equivalents.

A unique way to experience what studying at the University of Bristol as a local student might be like
A chance to discover more about a subject you are interested in from current university students and academic staff
A fantastic enrichment opportunity that will offer tailored information, advice and guidance to help students make an informed decision about higher education

Successful completers of the scheme will be guaranteed a contextual offer/interview from Bristol, a top ten UK university (QS World University Rankings 2026).

For further information about the scheme, please read our Access to Bristol Brochure 2025-26 (PDF, 4,719kB)

Eligibility

The scheme is only open to students who meet all of the following criteria.

You must:

be a Home fee student;
currently attend a state school or college;
be resident in a BA, BS or other local postcode within an hour's journey of the University of Bristol (including South Wales);
be in your first or second year of A-Level study (or equivalent);
have the academic ability to study at the University of Bristol (meeting the GCSE entry requirements for their chosen subject stream and studying any required Level 3 subjects). Applicants must have the potential to meet the contextual entry requirements for their chosen course.

If a subject stream is oversubscribed, we will prioritise students who meet our widening participation criteria:

are or have been eligible for free school meals;
live in an IMD quintile 1 area or an IMD quintile 2 area as defined by your home postcode;
be considered a mature student (over 21 years old when you will begin your degree) (we encourage mature students to apply for the Mature Pathway to Bristol instead of Access to Bristol);
are from a Black or Asian background or of a mixed background featuring one of these groups*;
have spent three or more months in local authority care;
are currently an estranged student;
are from Gypsy, Traveller, Roma, Showmen and Boater (GTRSB) communities;
currently attend an aspiring state school or college;
are from any other minority ethnic background;
are part of the first generation in their family to go to university;
have caring responsibilities;
have refugee status;
have a disability;
have a parent or carer who currently serves in the UK Armed Forces, or who has done so in the past.

*With additional priority assigned to the following underrepresented ethnic groups at University of Bristol: Asian Pakistani; Asian Bangladeshi; Black Caribbean; Black African; or of a mixed backgrounds featuring one of these groups.

We recommend that you discuss your application to the programme with your Head of Sixth Form prior to applying as you will need your school or college to grant your permission to attend the scheme. You will also need to list a "Key Contact" (usually your Head of Sixth form) on your application form.

Accessibility Statement

The University of Bristol is committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all students. The Access to Bristol programme is designed to support students from underrepresented backgrounds and we are committed to ensuring that all participants, including those with disabilities or additional needs, can engage fully and equally. We are committed to making Access to Bristol an accessible and positive experience for every student.

Physical Accessibility and Programme Expectations

The Access to Bristol programme mainly takes place in person on the University of Bristol city centre campus. It includes:

A busy and dynamic environment, particularly during registration, and when moving between University buildings;
A campus tour and subject sessions that involve moving between different buildings and areas across our city centre University site (please note that routes may involve hills);
Access to buildings with varying levels of physical accessibility. Please note that the University campus includes many historical buildings which the University may not be permitted to alter. Check our AccessAble guides for accessibility information for different University buildings.

While many areas of campus are wheelchair accessible, prior notice is essential to ensure that we can arrange appropriate support (e.g. step-free routes, alternative rooms with improved accessibility, lift access, suitable fire evacuation plans, or assistance with navigation).

We ask all applicants to inform us on their application form regarding any access requirements. This helps us ensure a safe, comfortable, and inclusive experience.

Contact Us

If you have any questions or would like to discuss your access needs, please contact us at access-to-bristol@bristol.ac.uk as early as possible.

Benefits of Access to Bristol

Guaranteed contextual offer or interview

If you successfully complete the Access to Bristol scheme, and depending on the course(s) that you choose to apply for, you may be eligible for a guaranteed contextual offer or interview to study at Bristol provided you meet the contextual entry requirements for that course.

For courses that do not routinely interview as part of the admissions process, you will be guaranteed a contextual offer (typically two A-Level grades below standard entry requirements) to study at Bristol provided you are studying any specified A-Level subjects and meet any additional requirements for your chosen course (e.g. GCSE or equivalent grades).

For courses that require an interview as part of the admissions process, such as Medicine or Dentistry, you will be guaranteed an interview for that course provided you are predicted to meet or exceed the contextual entry requirements for that course; you meet any GCSE or equivalent requirements; and you have completed the relevant aptitude test such as the UCAT by the appropriate deadline. Following interview, you may be made an offer at the contextual level.

This benefit can apply to multiple courses should you choose to submit multiple course applications to Bristol.

Please note that terms and conditions apply.

If you are studying A-levels/BTEC

For most courses, you will be guaranteed an offer at the contextual level, provided that you meet the full entry requirements of the course applied for. Entry requirements are displayed on our course pages. Students undertaking the appropriate subjects but not predicted the contextual offer will usually be made an aspirational offer.

If the course holds interviews as part of the selection process you will be guaranteed an interview (for example, Medicine or Dentistry). The interview will only be guaranteed if your predicted grades meet the contextual entry requirements and you meet the GCSE subject requirements. Applicants must still complete the UCAT in order to receive the guaranteed interview.

Please note: we do not currently have BTEC contextualised offers. This means that your BTEC subject(s) offer will not be made any lower than stated on course pages.

If you are studying Access to HE

We encourage Access to HE learners who will be 21 or older on the first day of their undergraduate studies to apply to our new Mature Pathway to Bristol project, which offers more bespoke support, tailored information and guidance, additional flexibility, and opportunities to meet and engage with other like-minded mature learners. Find out more by contacting mature-students@bristol.ac.uk.

If you are an Access to HE student who will be under the age of 21 when starting your undergraduate studies, you may still wish to apply to Access to Bristol. If applying to Access to Bristol, you may apply for any stream that runs in Autumn, as well as Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Sciences. Access to HE students who complete Access to Bristol receive the same benefits as mature Access to HE students who complete the Mature Pathway to Bristol.

For most courses, you will be guaranteed an offer to study, providing full entry requirements are met. Entry requirements are displayed on our course pages.

For a small number of courses within the Faculty of Science, as well as Medicine/Dentistry or other interviewing subjects, Access to HE students will be guaranteed an interview. These courses often interview to ensure that Access to HE students have the required grounding in Mathematics and/or Physics.

The Access to HE qualification is already at the contextual level, in recognition that students returning to study may face additional barriers to entering HE. This means that your offer will not be made any lower than stated.

Term dates and times

For the 2025-26 iteration of Access to Bristol, we are running an online Study Skills session at the start of each term.

This session aims to support students with the soft skills needed to transition from Level 3 study to Higher Education, and has been developed in collaboration with the University’s Study Skills team.

As always, Access to Bristol participants will be expected to attend all sessions to successfully complete the scheme, including the online Study Skills session and five on-campus sessions.

Access to Bristol takes place on Wednesday afternoons. On campus, registration takes place from 1.30-1.55pm and academic sessions take place from 2.00-4.00pm.

Autumn term 2025: 29 October (online), 5 November, 12 November, 19 November, 26 November, 3 December (on campus)

Spring term 2026: 21 January (online), 28 January, 4 February, 11 February, 25 February, 4 March (on campus)

Engineering and Computer Science

Engineering

Term(s) running

Autumn and Spring

Year group(s)

Year 12, Year 13, Access to HE

Specific subject requirements

A levels in Maths and a maths/ science related subject. Please check entry requirements for your specific course choice to ensure that you are studying to meet the subject requirements. Science related subjects may include: Biology; Chemistry; Computer Science; Further Mathematics; Geography; Geology; Physics; and Electronics.

As Engineering is such a broad subject, we do our best to showcase the different types of Engineering on offer at Bristol during your time on Access to Bristol.

Computer Science

Term(s) running

Term(s) running

Spring

Year group(s)

Year 12

Specific subject requirements

No specific subject requirements at A-level or equivalent, however, a lower entry requirement is available to students who are studying three specified subjects at A-level. Specified subjects include: Biology; Chemistry; Computer Science; Computing; Design and Technology: Product Design 3D; Environmental Science; Further Mathematics; Geography; Geology; Human Biology; Information Communication Technology; Marine Science; Mathematics; Physics; and Statistics.

Mathematics

Term(s) running

Autumn

Year group(s)

Year 13, Access to HE

Specific subject requirements

This stream is only open to students studying Maths and another Maths-related subject at A-level or equivalent. Maths-related subjects include: Biology; Chemistry; Computer Science; Economics; Physics. STEP paper achievement will also be considered for this Access to Bristol stream.

Term(s) running

Autumn

Year group(s)

Year 13, Access to HE

Specific subject requirements

Students must be studying Mathematics at A-level or equivalent.

Law

Term(s) running

Autumn and Spring

Year group(s)

Year 12, Year 13, Access to HE

Specific subject requirements

No specific subject requirements at A-level or equivalent.

Social Sciences: Sociology, Politics, Criminology and Social Policy

Term(s) running

Term(s) running

Autumn

Year group(s)

Year 12, Access to HE

Specific subject requirements

Students must be studying Chemistry, and one of either Biology, Physics, Mathematics or Further Mathematics at A level or equivalent.

GCSE/additional requirements

This stream is only open to students with a grade 4/C or above in GCSE English (Lit. or Lang.), and a 4/C in GCSE Maths or equivalent. If you do not currently have these GCSE grades but plan to re-sit, please let us know in your Access to Bristol application.

Please note that where a stream is undersubscribed, students in Year 12 may be invited to take part in subject streams that are running in Autumn for Year 13 students. If you are a Year 12 applicant, you will be able to indicate your Autumn subject stream preference on the application form.