For the 2026 postgraduate taught intake, the University of Southampton（University of Southampton）does not ask all Chinese applicants for the same average. It sorts degree-awarding institutions into four categories — Tier A, Tier B, Tier C and Tier D — and publishes a required average for each, in both percentage and GPA terms. The lowest figure anywhere in that structure is 65% (GPA 2.3/4.0, 2.88/5.0) for a 2:2 offer, and it applies to Tier A institutions. Tier D sits at the opposite end: 93% (GPA 3.9) for a 1st, 88% (3.7) for a 2:1 and 83% (3.5) for a 2:2. So the tier your university falls into determines which number you are aiming at, not a single university-wide minimum.
The numbers, tier by tier
Here is what the university publishes for 2026. Percentage averages are paired with the GPA on a 4.0 scale, and the same awards are shown on a 5.0 scale for applicants who are graded that way.
| Tier | What the category covers | 1st | 2:1 | 2:2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Project 985 institutions, plus top specialist institutions and top-tier branch campuses | 75 (3.25/4.0 · 4.06/5.0) | 70 (2.8/4.0 · 3.5/5.0) | 65 (2.3/4.0 · 2.88/5.0) |
| B | Shanghai Ranking 2025 China top 300 universities and top 20 Chinese art universities, plus Project 211 universities | 80 (3.5/4.0 · 4.38/5.0) | 75 (3.1/4.0 · 3.88/5.0) | 70 (2.6/4.0 · 3.25/5.0) |
| C | Shanghai Ranking 2025 positions 301–600, top 20 Chinese private universities, Chinese art universities ranked 21–50, and leading local specialist institutions | Not reproduced here — check the university's China entry requirements page | ||
| D | All other ECCTIS-recognised degree awarding institutions | 93 (3.9/4.0 · 4.88/5.0) | 88 (3.7/4.0 · 4.63/5.0) | 83 (3.5/4.0 · 4.38/5.0) |
Read the tiers as a spread rather than a ranking of prestige. Tier D carries the highest required average, not the lowest: being recognised by ECCTIS does not lower the academic bar in Southampton's structure. Tier C is defined by the university's own description of institutions, but its percentage and GPA figures are not among the figures set out in the material reproduced above — go to the university's own page for them rather than assuming a midpoint.
The named institution list behind these tiers runs to several hundred universities, grouped by category and by score band. The university states that the definitive list is the one published on its own China entry requirements page.
Which schools and faculties apply extra conditions
Some requirements are set above the tier table.
- The School of Electronics and Computer Science does not accept applications from Tier D institutions for its courses.
- The 5% "Near Miss" flexibility policy, which the university says it will continue to apply in 2026 for scores within 5% of the published requirement, does not apply within the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences. A near-miss argument is therefore worth making in some faculties and not in that one.
- The university recommends applying to only one programme per faculty.
Reading your own grade report against the table
The university's instruction on scoring is short and worth following literally: when both a percentage and a GPA are available, use whichever is higher. It also flags attention to core subject results.
Two things this table does not settle. First, it is described by the university as the standard entry criteria for its programmes, not as a guarantee of an outcome — applications are considered on the full submission, so strong subject scores and the suitability of what you studied all count. Second, the standard requirements do not preclude specific requirements, including where contractual admissions agreements such as '4+1' and similar routes exist. Individual course pages can therefore differ from the tier figures above.
Foundation (top-up) degrees
For applicants entering through a 专升本 route, the university states that diploma-stage results will be taken into account, but that the conditional offer issued will be based on the undergraduate stage. Self-taught part-time entry is handled case by case. Night and correspondence study (夜大、函授) are not accepted.
English language requirements
The published China requirements material sets out academic entry criteria by tier and does not carry a single English language score requirement for this intake. Treat any specific score as a course-level question: open the page for the individual programme you are targeting and read what that course asks for.
How to self-check before you apply
Work through this in order, one step at a time.
- Open the university's China entry requirements page for the 2026 intake.
- Find your awarding institution in the named list the university publishes.
- Note which tier letter it is assigned.
- Read off the percentage and the GPA for the award you want (2:1 or 2:2).
- Convert your own result to whichever representation is higher — percentage or GPA.
- Check the individual course page for special requirements and for the English language score.
- Check whether the school is the School of Electronics and Computer Science, which excludes Tier D.
- Check whether the faculty is Engineering and Physical Sciences, where the 5% Near Miss policy does not apply.
- Decide your course, keeping to one programme per faculty.