Loughborough University assesses Chinese bachelor's degrees against three Shanghai Rank tiers — Top 250, 251–500, and 501+ — and applies a multiplier to your university's average mark. The multiplier depends on the UK degree classification the course requires: UK 1st, High 2:1 (≈65%), 2:1, High 2:2 (≈55%), or 2:2.
How the tier system works
The university uses the ShanghaiRanking 2024 Chinese university list to place your institution into one of three bands. It does not publish a count of universities per band, and you should not assume a specific university's tier from external lists. Check the official "China entry requirements" page on lboro.ac.uk for the current tier assignment.
| Shanghai Rank tier | UK 1st (scholarship) | UK High 2:1 (≈65%) | UK 2:1 | UK High 2:2 (≈55%) | UK 2:2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 250 | 0.83 | 0.76 | 0.72 | 0.7 | 0.67 |
| 251–500 | 0.88 | 0.81 | 0.75 | 0.73 | 0.7 |
| 501+ | 0.92 | 0.84 | 0.79 | 0.77 | 0.75 |
Multiply your average by the corresponding multiplier to assess eligibility.
English language requirements (2025 intake)
Direct-entry language scores were updated for 2025. The overall IELTS requirement remains 6.5, but component minimums moved from 6.0 to 5.5 with a cap: no more than two components at 5.5. A profile of 5.5, 5.5, 7.0, 7.5 is accepted; 5.5, 5.5, 5.5, 9.0 is not.
Accepted alternatives and their component floors:
| Test | Overall | Minimum per component |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS Academic | 6.5 | 5.5 (max two at 5.5) |
| Pearson PTE Academic | 67 | 59 |
| TOEFL iBT | 92 | 20 |
| Duolingo English Test | 120 | 100 |
| LanguageCert Academic SELT | 70 | 62 |
| LanguageCert Online Test | Pass | 30/50 per skill |
Some SELT exams (e.g., LanguageCert ESOL SELT) cannot be lowered further because their component floors already sit at the UKVI minimum (33/50 per skill).
Two practical caveats
- Conditional vs. unconditional offers — If you receive a conditional offer under the previous thresholds, that condition stays unchanged. However, when the university converts it to an unconditional offer, it will apply the updated multipliers.
- Excellence Scholarship (20% award) — The tier multipliers do not apply. This scholarship still uses the UK 1st-class column (0.83 / 0.88 / 0.92) regardless of the course's standard entry requirement. Other scholarships follow their own published criteria.
How to self-check before applying
- Find your university's current ShanghaiRanking 2024 position on the Loughborough "China entry requirements" page.
- Identify which UK degree classification your target course asks for (listed on the course page).
- Multiply your bachelor's average by the corresponding multiplier in the table above.
- Verify your English test meets the component rules, not just the overall score.
- If you are targeting the Excellence Scholarship, use the UK 1st-class column only.
All figures above are taken from the university's published 2025-entry policy for taught postgraduate programmes across both campuses.