What A-levels do you need to study economics?
Find out what courses you may need or may help you when it comes to studying an economics degree.

You don’t necessarily need A-level economics to study an economics degree, although it could be an advantage.
Some courses specify maths as a must-have A-level.
Take a look at individual economics courses on The Uni Guide to find out the most popular subjects students studied before attending.
A-level subjects for economics
What A-levels are essential if you want to study economics?
Maths is sometimes considered an essential on certain courses.
What A-levels are useful to have for studying economics?
Economics, although not essential, might give you an edge over the competition.
Other typical A-levels taken by current economics students
- further maths
- history
- statistics
Search for a course to see its full entry requirements, modules and topics you’ll cover, plus lots more.
Examples of economics degree requirements
Below is a range of economics courses offered by different universities and the A-level entry requirements they ask for (as of 15 January 2018):
University of Cambridge: ‘A-levels: A*A*A*. Must have A-level in Higher Maths and also pass an admissions test.’
University of Sheffield: ‘A-levels: AAB. GCSE: Must have minimum Grade B/6 in Maths.’
University of East Anglia: ‘A-levels: ABB excluding General Studies.’
Watch now: How to choose your A-levels
Choosing your A-levels? See where different combinations will take you, with our Explorer tool.
What subjects can I study that are similar to economics?
Not sure you want to study economics, but know you’re on the right track? Here are some potential alternatives you could consider.
- maths: studying maths could open up other accountancy-related subjects and careers
- business studies: broaden your understanding of business organisations
- management science: problem-solving and decision making in organisations
Bear in mind that similar subjects may still have slightly different A-level requirements to economics. To keep your degree options open, do some homework on what different subjects ask for in their entry requirements across a few different universities, so you can choose your A-levels wisely.
Search for a subject or course now to see what universities ask for in their entry requirements and more.