For a Chinese bachelor's degree, The University of Manchester (曼彻斯特大学) sets the lowest academic minimum at 80% for 2026 entry when your institution sits on the university's own top/core list. The requirement rises to 82% for its Rank 2 list and 85% for its Rank 3 list. If your institution is not on the top list, 82% is the band you will most often need to clear.
Every figure below comes from the university's own published 2026/27 entry requirements and must be verified on manchester.ac.uk before you apply.
How Manchester grades Chinese institutions
Manchester does not use one national cut-off. It works from its own ranked institution lists and assigns a percentage to each band:
- Top / Core list (Rank 1): 80%
- Rank 2 list: 82%
- Rank 3 list: 85%
The university states that all schools will prioritise applicants from higher-ranked institutions who exceed the minimum academic entry requirements. Your institution's position on its list decides the number you must clear.
Lowest and typical required averages by faculty
The Business School (Alliance Manchester Business School, AMBS) applies the banded list across all programmes: 80% for top/core-list institutions, 82% for Rank 2, and 85% for Rank 3. AMBS notes that preference goes to applicants who exceed the minimum.
In the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE), the bar varies by course:
| Course area | Minimum from top list | Minimum from Tier 1 | English requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science (MSc AI, Cyber Security, Machine Learning, Advanced Computer Science) | 83% | 85% | See course page |
| EEE – Robotics | 83% | 85% | IELTS 6.5 overall, no sub-test below 6.0 |
| EEE – Communications and Signal Processing | 80% | 83% | IELTS 6.5 overall, no sub-test below 6.0 |
| EEE – Electrical Power Systems | 80% | 83% | IELTS 6.5 overall, no sub-test below 6.0 |
| EEE – Renewable Energy and Clean Technology | 80% | 83% | IELTS 6.5 overall, no sub-test below 6.0 |
| EEE – Advanced Control Systems Engineering | 80% | 83% | IELTS 6.5 overall, no sub-test below 6.0 |
| Management of Projects (Commercial, Construction, Engineering, Management of Projects) | 82% from a ranked institution | 82% from a ranked institution | IELTS 7.0 overall, no sub-test below 6.5; deposit required |
The project management group now accepts more diverse undergraduate backgrounds, but the 82% average still applies to any ranked institution. The table reflects the course entries published in the source; the full FSE schedule is longer and should be checked on the university site.
Which schools block offers without English
Two faculties make English a hard gate before any offer is made:
- Business School (AMBS) and the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures (SALC): you must submit an English score meeting the pre-sessional language class requirement at application, or you will not receive an offer.
- The Psychology of Education MEd also requires English before an offer.
By contrast, the School of Social Sciences (SoSS) and the School of Environment, Education and Development (SEED) — except the Educational Psychology programme — let you apply without a language score, but the university prioritises applicants who already meet the English requirement. The Educational Psychology pathway requires English at application.
For the FSE courses above, the English bar is set per course: 6.5 overall (no band below 6.0) for the EEE and computing programmes listed, and 7.0 overall (no band below 6.5) for the Management of Projects group, which also requires a deposit.
How to self-check before applying
- Open the university's China entry requirements page for your target school on manchester.ac.uk.
- Find your institution on Manchester's ranked list and read its band: 80%, 82%, or 85%.
- Open your programme's course page and confirm the exact academic minimum and any Tier 1 figure.
- Check whether your school requires English before an offer (AMBS, SALC, and Psychology of Education MEd do).
- Note the IELTS total and sub-test minimum for your course.
- Compare your bachelor's average and English score against both numbers before you submit.
This page summarises the 2026/27 requirements published by the university. It is a decision aid, not an offer of admission, and individual programmes may update their criteria.