Leeds does not publish one single minimum score for applicants with a Chinese bachelor's degree. It publishes a tiered percentage scale, and the number that matters depends on the school and the programme: the lowest bar anywhere in the 2027 policy is 65% from a Tier 1 university, and the highest common bar is 85% from a Tier 3 university for a programme requiring a 2:1 equivalent.
Where to start: find your percentage, then your tier
The policy has two columns that combine. First, your undergraduate institution sits in a tier (Tier 1, Tier 2 or Tier 3) on the university's published China list. Second, the school or programme sets a percentage for each tier.
So a percentage alone means nothing until you have looked yourself up. Check the China entry requirements page on the university's own site, find your university by its English name, and note the tier. Only then read the percentage column for the school you are applying to.
The main school-level patterns
- School of Computer Science — accepts Tier 1 and Tier 2 only. 75% from Tier 1, 80% from Tier 2. There is no Tier 3 route in this school's table.
- School of Media and Communication — same pattern: Tier 1 and Tier 2 accepted, 75% and 80% respectively.
- Leeds University Business School and the listed Social Sciences schools (Politics and International Studies; Sociology and Social Policy; Education; Law) — accept Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 at 70% / 75% / 80%.
- All other schools — the widest spread. Programmes requiring a 2:1 equivalent ask 75% / 80% / 85% across the three tiers; programmes requiring a 2:2 equivalent ask 70% / 75% / 80%.
Note what that means practically: a Tier 3 applicant is not automatically excluded from Leeds, but the school-level tables decide whether there is any number to aim at.
Which schools set the higher bar
- Highest in the policy: 85% from a Tier 3 university. This appears for 2:1-equivalent programmes in the "all other schools" group, in the School of Civil Engineering / Mechanical Engineering / Mathematics / Physics / Electronic and Electrical Engineering group, and in the School of Chemistry for MSc Chemistry, MSc Science and Technology for Sustainability and MSc Digital and Automated Chemistry.
- Also at 85% from Tier 3: the School of Biology, Biomedical Sciences and Molecular and Cellular Biology group for programmes requiring 2:1, and the School of Dentistry for programmes requiring 2:1.
- Tier 3 is closed entirely: Computer Science and Media and Communication.
- Lower end of the scale: the School of Food Science and Nutrition, at 2:2 equivalent, 65% / 70% / 75% across Tiers 1–3. The School of Chemical and Process Engineering and School of Chemistry also offer 2:2-equivalent routes at 70% / 75% / 80%.
- School of Earth, Environment and Sustainability lists a 2:1 (hons) or equivalent requirement at 70% / 75% / 80%.
- Faculty of Biological Sciences states that all universities are accepted.
English language requirements
English requirements are set per school, not once for the university. The clearest published figures are:
- Leeds University Business School (MSc International Business and the listed business master's courses) — IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in any component.
- School of Food Science and Nutrition — IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in any component.
- School of Chemical and Process Engineering — the policy directs applicants to the course pages rather than restating the score.
For other schools, the official material points you to the relevant page; check the specific course entry rather than assuming the business school figure applies.
How to self-check before you apply
- Open the Leeds China entry requirements page.
- Search for your university by its English name and record the tier it is assigned.
- Identify the school that owns your target course, not just the faculty.
- Read the percentage for your tier in that school's row.
- Compare your own average against it, using the same weighting basis the school expects.
- Check whether the school accepts your tier at all — two schools do not list a Tier 3 route.
- Note whether the programme is listed at 2:1 or 2:2 equivalent, because the percentages differ.
- Check the English requirement for that specific school.
- Read the individual course page for anything the policy table leaves out.
If your university does not appear on the list, or your average sits below the percentage for your tier, the published policy does not give you a route at that school. Other schools may still accept your profile under their own numbers.
What the policy does not settle
The published material does not state a guaranteed conversion from your university average to the Leeds percentage, nor how borderline cases are treated, nor whether any conditional offer routes exist. Those sit outside what the published policy states, so treat them as questions for the admissions team rather than assumptions.