How Many Intakes Are There in UK? September, January and May 2027

  • Last Updated on: October 6, 2026 by
  • Shiva Sai Bejawada
How Many intakes are there in UK
Intakes in UK

If you are asking how many intakes are there in UK universities, the answer is three main ones: September, January and May, with September the largest and May on selected courses only. For 2027 entry, most courses on UCAS (the UK’s central application service for bachelor’s degrees) start in September or October, and a few start between January and July. Most families worry that missing September costs a whole year. It usually doesn’t. In the year ending June 2026, about 4 in 10 Indian students got their UK Student visa outside the July to September rush, calculated from Home Office visa data. A January start is common, not a consolation prize. The 2027 deadlines for each intake come next, then a table that matches your profile to one.

Written by
Shiva Sai Bejawada
Senior Counsellor (British Council Certified) -UK & Ireland
Shiva Sai Bejawada is a British Council Certified overseas-education counsellor at AOEC India who guides Indian students through UK and Ireland university selection, admissions, and student visa documentation.
6 Years, 96% visa approval rate
Reviewed by
Sridhar Kongara
Managing Director
Mr. Kongara Sridhar, Director of AOEC India, has over 12 years of experience in overseas education consulting, admissions, and student visa guidance.
Over 12 years Experience

Key Takeaways

  • Missed September 2026? January 2027 international deadlines run from 30 November 2026 to 4 January 2027, and visa funds rise to GBP 1,570 a month in London (approx. INR 2 lakh) from 30 November.
  • Final-year student aiming for a September 2027 master’s? Chevening closes on 6 October 2026 and Commonwealth Master’s on 20 October 2026.
  • Class 12 student? Your UCAS deadline is 13 January 2027, or 15 October 2026 for Oxford, Cambridge and most medicine.
  • Need a scholarship for January? Birmingham’s GBP 5,000 (approx. INR 6.36 lakh) discount needs an unconditional offer accepted by 7 December 2026.
  • Need more time or a top-up degree? May 2027 runs on selected courses, such as Teesside’s 17 May 2027 master’s start.
Table of Contents
How Many Intakes Are There in UK Universities: Three Main, More at Some Scroll here ↓ September 2027 Intake: UCAS Dates and Funded Scholarships Scroll here ↓ January 2027 Intake: Universities and International Deadlines Scroll here ↓ May 2027 Intake: Selected Courses Only Scroll here ↓ Which UK Intake to Choose for 2027 Scroll here ↓ Frequently Asked Questions Scroll here ↓

How Many Intakes Are There in UK Universities: Three Main, More at Some

Three main intakes run in UK universities, September, January and May, but no national body fixes the number. For 2026-27 entry, Coventry offers up to six postgraduate start months on some courses, from September through to July, so the count depends on the university, not the country.

IntakeStart monthsWhich coursesHow you apply
SeptemberSeptember to OctoberMost courses, all levelsUCAS for a bachelor’s; direct to the university for a master’s
JanuaryJanuary to FebruarySelected courses, mainly master’sDirect to the university, often with an earlier international deadline
MayMaySelected master’s and top-up courses at a few universitiesDirect to the university

January isn’t only for newer universities: Birmingham, Exeter and Liverpool, all members of the Russell Group (a group of research-intensive UK universities), run January 2027 starts. Visa rules follow the date you apply, not the month you start. For the wider picture, see our guide to studying in the UK.

Indian students use January far more than most. In the year ending June 2026, nearly half (45.1%) of all UK Student visas issued in January to March went to Indian students, which makes January a mainstream route for you, not a fallback. So how many intakes are there in UK universities for you? Realistically two big ones, September and January, and a small third, May.

September 2027 Intake: UCAS Dates and Funded Scholarships

September 2027 is the intake for a bachelor’s degree or a government-funded master’s. For September 2027 entry, the UCAS equal-consideration deadline (the date by which every application gets the same fair review) is 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time, for most undergraduate courses. That date, not September, is the real deadline for a Class 12 student.

Oxford, Cambridge or medicine on your list? Your date is closer. For September 2027 entry, applications to Oxford, Cambridge and most medicine, dentistry and veterinary courses close on 15 October 2026. Bachelor’s places at universities such as Warwick, Manchester, Edinburgh and Bristol go through the same UCAS form, and our guide to the UCAS application process for Indian students walks through it. UCAS still accepts late applications until 30 June 2027; after that they go straight into Clearing (the UCAS system that matches applicants to places still unfilled).

Master’s applications skip UCAS and go to each university directly:

  • For September 2027 entry, Exeter opened master’s applications on 28 September 2026.
  • Loughborough University accepts international applications for its 20 September 2027 start until 23 August 2027. Apply that late and you will need to pay for a faster priority visa, so don’t plan around the last date.

Our September intake in UK guide has the month-by-month plan.

Both main UK government scholarships fund September starts only. For 2027-28, Chevening applications close on 6 October 2026, for studies beginning in September or October 2027. For 2027-28, Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships close on 20 October 2026, also for September or October 2027 starts, and the body that nominates you in India can set an earlier deadline. If either award is your plan, September is your intake. University awards sit in our list of scholarships to study in UK for Indian students.

January 2027 Intake: Universities and International Deadlines

Most applicants assume January leaves them until December to apply. For Indian students it often doesn’t: several international deadlines close weeks before UK ones, and two close in November.

  • The University of Lancashire (formerly UCLan) closes January 2027 international applications on 30 November 2026.
  • Northumbria wants applications by 30 November 2026, and some health courses, such as nursing, start only in January.
  • Loughborough University London closes on 14 December 2026 for international applicants, against 25 January 2027 for UK students.
  • Liverpool’s January starts close on 18 December 2026 for most international applicants, and two engineering and science programmes close on 30 November.
  • Exeter sets one date for everyone: 4 January 2027.

Teesside starts January master’s courses on 18 January 2027. Strathclyde (more than 50 master’s), Manchester Metropolitan (19 postgraduate courses), Aston, and Greenwich for bachelor’s and master’s, also run January 2027 starts, and our January intake in UK guide lists them in full.

January has its own scholarships, closing before Christmas. For the January 2027 intake, Exeter’s January Excellence Scholarship takes GBP 3,000, 5,000 or 10,000 off first-year tuition on ten named MSc programmes, closing on 26 November 2026. Birmingham’s High Fliers award takes an automatic GBP 5,000 off for self-funded January 2027 master’s starters on named programmes who accept an unconditional offer (a final offer with no conditions left to meet). Loughborough London gives GBP 5,000 to every international student starting in January 2027. All three need an offer first, so apply in October, not December.

Parents, the bank balance the visa asks for goes up on 30 November. For applications made before 30 November 2026, the visa needs GBP 1,529 a month in London or GBP 1,171 outside, for up to 9 months. For applications made on or after 30 November 2026, that rises to GBP 1,570 and GBP 1,203 under new Home Office rules. Most January applicants file after that date, so budget the higher figure; our guide to UK student visa proof of funds shows how to evidence it.

May 2027 Intake: Selected Courses Only

Picture a diploma holder who needs a top-up degree (a course that turns a diploma into a full bachelor’s), or a graduate whose savings won’t be ready until spring. May 2027 suits both, on a short list of courses:

  • For the May 2027 intake, Teesside starts its one-year master’s on 17 May 2027. Its final date for meeting offer conditions and showing funds isn’t set yet.
  • Northumbria London runs May starts on 18 of its 38 courses, mostly MSc courses with a work placement, plus one top-up degree.
  • The University of East London opens its May 2027 round later this year, for selected master’s courses in three departments, with the same content and degree as its September courses.

Not every university with a January intake runs May: Hertfordshire names only September and January. The catch: May runs on few courses, and neither Chevening nor the Commonwealth awards cover it. If you can’t study without a scholarship, wait for September. The full list is in May intake universities in UK.

Which UK Intake to Choose for 2027

Find the row that describes you and work back from its deadline; most readers end up with just one intake that fits.

Your situationBest intakeDeadline to hit (2027 cycle)Do this now
Class 12 student applying for a bachelor’sSeptember 202713 Jan 2027, 18:00 UK time (UCAS)Finish your UCAS form and personal statement
Aiming for Oxford, Cambridge or medicineSeptember 202715 Oct 2026 (UCAS)Submit your UCAS application this week
Final-year graduate wanting a government-funded master’sSeptember 2027Chevening 6 Oct 2026; Commonwealth 20 Oct 2026Submit the scholarship form, then apply to universities
Graduate who missed September 2026, self-fundedJanuary 202730 Nov 2026 to 4 Jan 2027 (international)Apply now; hold GBP 1,570 a month in London (approx. INR 2 lakh)
Working professional serving a notice periodJanuary 202730 Nov 2026 to 4 Jan 2027 (international)Apply now; resign once your unconditional offer arrives
Self-funded master’s applicant who needs a tuition discountJanuary 2027Exeter 26 Nov 2026; Birmingham 7 Dec 2026Get an offer in October; Birmingham’s award is GBP 5,000 (approx. INR 6.36 lakh)
Graduate who needs more time to save fundsMay 2027Conditions date not yet set (start 17 May 2027)Shortlist May courses and start saving for the 28-day funds check

Whichever row you’re in, the visa steps are the same once your CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies, the reference number your university issues to sponsor your visa) arrives:

  1. You can apply from India up to 6 months before your course starts, as soon as you hold the CAS.
  2. Keep the full funds in your account for 28 days straight, and apply no more than 31 days after that stretch ends.

The Graduate visa, which lets you stay and work after your degree, lasts 18 months if you apply from 1 January 2027. It’s 2 years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026, and 3 years after a PhD. Your application date counts, not your intake, and every bachelor’s or master’s student starting in 2027 will apply after 1 January 2027. So don’t pick an intake hoping for two years; more in our guide to the post-study work visa in UK.

Deferring can also cost money. Greenwich’s September 2026 International Scholarship Award can’t be deferred or moved to January 2027, so get written confirmation that your award moves before you accept a later start. Our CAS full form in UK explainer shows when your CAS is issued.

From our counselling desk: Treat January as a planned route with its own dates, not a rescue for a late September file. That is how Indian applicants already use it. Our rule for families: decide by 1 November 2026. If the full funds can't sit in the account for 28 days before you apply for the visa, switch to May or September 2027.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, at a few universities. Coventry University London runs a November 2026 start. Most universities do not, so plan a November start only if your own course page lists it for international students. If it does not, look at January, where international deadlines run from 30 November 2026 to 4 January 2027.

Usually, yes. Liverpool’s January 2027 intake begins teaching on 1 February 2027, and Loughborough University London’s January programmes start the same day. BPP University also starts its LLM in International Business and Commercial Law in February 2027. Treat it as a January start: same deadlines, funds rules and scholarships.

For a bachelor’s, UCAS Clearing opens on 2 July 2027 and the final date for 2027 entry applications is 23 September 2027. For a master’s, move to the next intake or apply where admissions are rolling, meaning applications are read as they arrive. The University of Hull, for example, accepts postgraduate applications at any time.

September, if you need a government scholarship or the widest course choice. January, if you are self-funded, missed September 2026 and want to start sooner without losing a year. If a scholarship or an education loan fixes your start month, that month decides it.

Yes. For a bachelor’s, UCAS allows five choices in total. For a master’s you apply to each university directly, so you can hold a January offer at one and a September offer at another. Your visa follows the CAS from the one you finally accept.

Sources

Official sources first: UK government, then UCAS and scholarship bodies, then universities.

Show 31 more sources

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