Getting an offer from your chosen university is something to be proud of, but how do university offers actually work?
When you apply to study an undergraduate degree, your chosen universities will carefully assess your application and, if they feel you’re a good fit for the course and you meet the entry requirements, they’ll offer you a place.
Waiting for university offers can be nerve-wracking though, so here we answer some of your most commonly asked questions.
How long does it take for a university to give you an offer?
If you’ve applied to start in 2025 and you got your application in by the UCAS deadline of 29 January, you should’ve already heard back from all of your chosen universities. They are obliged to give you their decisions by May, via the UCAS Hub.
You might hear back later than May if your application was sent in after the UCAS deadline. But don’t worry, there’s no rush - you won’t have to accept any offer until you’ve received a decision from all the unis you applied to.
When do you have to respond to a university offer?
Once you’ve heard back from all your chosen universities, you’ll have several weeks to decide whether you want to accept any of the offers you’ve received.
The deadline to accept university offers depends when you applied:
- If you received your last decision from a uni on or before 14 May 2025, you need to respond by 4 June
- Or, if you receive your last decision on or before 17 July 2025, you need to respond by 23 July
When you’re ready to decide which offers (if any) to accept, go to the UCAS Hub and select one course as your firm (first) choice. Unless you have an Unconditional offer for your first choice, you can then choose one more course as your insurance (back up) choice. The rest of your offers will then be automatically declined.
Unsure about types of university offers? Find out more about the different types
What happens if you get no university offers?
Don't panic if you find that some of your applications are unsuccessful. Even if you receive no offers, you may be able to add some extra choices or you can apply through Clearing.
If it’s before 30 June and you didn’t use all five of your choices, you can make another choice in the UCAS Hub - as long as you haven’t already accepted or declined any offers.
Alternatively, if all five of your choices were unsuccessful or you declined them all, you can apply for one more course through UCAS Extra up until 4 July. If you don’t get a decision for that course within 21 days, or you get an offer and decline it, you can then apply for one more.
Then there’s Clearing. Opening in July each year, Clearing gives you another chance to secure a place on a fantastic course for you, even if you were previously unsuccessful or you’ve changed your mind about what you want to study.
What does it mean when a university offers you a place?
Each university will have their own way of assessing applications, but all of them will take great care over these decisions.
At the University of Portsmouth, we take into account more than just your grades, also considering personal circumstances and experiences, creative talent (for applicable courses) and whether you live in our region. Our approach is designed to enable students from all backgrounds to access higher education and the benefits it creates.
When we offer you a place on one of our courses, it means we think you have the qualities to flourish in your chosen area of study, and the potential to turn what you learn into great next steps for your future.
Read these next:
Accepting an offer
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