A guide to Ucas Clearing 2025: how to find your university place

If you find yourself still looking for a university place after exam results have come out, Clearing is likely to be your next step.

Universities use Clearing to advertise the courses where they still have spaces for the upcoming academic year. There are always thousands of courses available (Ucas says more than 30,000 courses featured in Clearing 2024) and most universities across the UK get involved.

If your application is placed into Clearing, you can phone around these universities to find a place on a course. Once you've decided on an offer that you like, you'll add this Clearing choice to your Ucas Hub.

The Clearing process is often used by students who are looking for a university place after missing the grades they needed for their firm and insurance offers.

But there are other reasons for using this route to university - including if you've made a late application or if you've had a change of heart about your chosen university course.

In this article, we'll go through how the Clearing process works, so you can be well prepared come results day.

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What is Clearing?

Ucas Clearing is a way for universities to fill up remaining spaces on their courses. You can use it if you don't have any university offers; in which case you can ring around universities in Clearing to discuss an application.

Clearing opens on 5 July 2025 and it closes on 20 October 2025.

Who can use Clearing?

Clearing is mostly used by students who didn't get the grades they needed for either their firm or insurance offers.

Once results have come out, applications that have been unsuccessful get moved into Clearing. So those applicants can then try for a place on another course, at either the same or a different university.

Why else might you use Clearing?

There are other reasons for using Clearing, too:

• you've declined a confirmed place, using the 'decline my place' button in Ucas Hub
• you applied before 30 June but didn't get any offers
• you're applying after 30 June

When is Clearing 2025?

Clearing begins in early July each year. Clearing 2025 opens on 5 July. The last date for adding any Clearing choices is 20 October 2025.

Once Clearing opens, you're able to search through available courses. But the majority of applications that are made through Clearing happen from A-level results day onwards. This year, A-level results day is on Thursday 14 August 2025.

Before results day: how to prepare for Clearing

It's a good idea to have a Clearing back-up plan ready, just in case you need it. Not only will you be well prepared, but being proactive in this way might even help dampen down some of those pre-results nerves.

Before results day, start looking for courses that you would like to take if you don't get your firm or insurance place.

You can start making a shortlist from universities with courses similar to your current offers, but with slightly lower grade requirements than you've been predicted. Maybe take another look at options that didn't quite make your top five Ucas choices earlier in the year.

Clearing vacancies can be found on the Ucas website using its search tool. More courses will be added on A-level results day, but taking a look through what's there ahead of time will give you a clear idea of what's likely to be available.

Call and/or email the admissions team if you are unclear about anything! They are there to help you and want you to join their university.queergingerbeer | (from The Student Room)

I found that it was extremely easy, especially if you act quick and waste no time in contacting any course you are interested in.ANOYNOMUS786 | (from The Student Room)

Some other things to do before results day...

• Make sure you've got important info in one place. If you need to make Clearing calls, you'll be asked for certain information, such as your Ucas number (or Ucas Personal ID) and perhaps previous exam grades. You'll also need your Clearing number (this is shown on Hub once results are out, if you're in Clearing) as well as your new exam grades once you have them.
• Practise what you’ll say in a mini-interview over the phone. What happens on a Clearing call will vary by university and by course. Some calls might be short interviews. Our guide to answering questions on a Clearing call can give you an idea of how to make the right impression.
• It's also worth re-reading your personal statement. The universities you apply to in Clearing will have access to this and might ask about what you've written here.

Looking for more information on being prepared ahead of results day? Read our detailed guide to making a Clearing back-up plan.

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Where to go for help with Clearing

The Student Room

We've got a dedicated discussion area for Applications, Clearing and Ucas on The Student Room. Check the discussions at the top for summary explainers of all things results day. This part of The Student Room is run by Ucas-trained advisers, and you can post your own questions here. So you can quickly get expert help on your own specific situation.

Helplines

There are a couple of key helplines, one from Ucas, the other from National Careers Service.

Ucas: 0371 468 0 468

Staff will not advise on course choices, but are great at sorting out queries on the technicalities of Clearing or if you're having any issues using Hub. Make sure you have your Ucas ID number ready before you call. Lines are open Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 6pm. They half-an-hour earlier, at 8am, on A-level results day.

National Careers Service Exam Results Helpline: 0800 100 900

This government-funded helpline provides free advice for anyone whose exam results weren't as good as they'd expected. It's open from A-level results day until a week after GCSE results day.

Social media

Ucas is active on its X page (@Ucas_Online) and on the Ucas Facebook page. Ucas recommends either those social media channels or the phone number listed above as the best way to get in contact.

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What's Clearing like? Uni student Ashleigh shares her experience in this video.

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On results day: the Clearing process

No matter how prepared you are, finding out you're in Clearing can come as a bit of shock. But it's best to find out as soon as you can, because then you have the most time to work out your options.

Ucas Hub updates shortly after 8am (normally around 8.15am). Log on at that time to check the status of your applications. If you’ve been placed in Clearing, you'll see a clearly displayed message telling you so. You’ll now have a Clearing number (which you'll have to give to universities you call).

Although you'll be able to see on Ucas Hub if you’ve got into your chosen university, the page won't show your grades. You’ll need to pick those up yourself.

Bear in mind, you might ​still get a place at your first-choice university even if you don't get exactly the grades you need for the offer. Sometimes you'll still be accepted if you just miss out on your offer, like if you got BBC instead of the required BBB.

Remember, if you're unhappy with an A-level exam grade you've received, you could resit the exam next year. We explain more about A-level retakes in this article on The Student Room. And if you think there's been a mistake in your grading, talk to your teachers about your options around a review of marking.

Don't panic! There is still an awesome opportunity out there for you to go to uni.Take some time to research, get some options, phone some Unis and consider your verbal offers.CheeseIsVeg | (from The Student Room)

Quick tips on the Clearing process...

• If you're eligible for Clearing, you can start phoning universities through their special Clearing phone lines. You'll be able to speak to someone about the course you’re interested in and find out whether they will make you an offer. We've got all the Clearing phone numbers for UK universities in one place on The Student Room.
• You can use Ucas’s Clearing Plus tool (also referred to by Ucas as 'Clearing matches') to help you find relevant courses. This shows you courses (from selected providers) that match your profile on your Hub. You can access this by logging into Ucas Hub and clicking the ‘see matches’ button on your application.
• Some universities may just ask for your grades and make a decision based on these; others may ask a few questions about why you’re interested in that particular course, a bit like a mini-interview. Read our full guide to calling universities in Clearing, including what to do before, during and afterwards.
• The Clearing call is also an opportunity to ask any questions that you have, for example you'll probably want to check what their accommodation policy is for Clearing applicants.
• You won't be able to add a Clearing option if you've still got any existing university offers. If you want to accept another university's offer of a place in Clearing, you'll first need to self-release using the ‘decline your place’ button in your Hub. Don’t do this unless you are absolutely sure you want to decline your existing place.

How many universities can I apply to?

You can talk to as many unis as you like and receive multiple offers over the phone. Clearing choices can only be added from 1pm on A-level results day, so you have time to keep ringing around even after you have your first offer.

Phone up other universities you like and try to get offers from those too, then decide which to take up later. Whenever you get an offer, be sure to check on the deadline for accepting it.

You can only add one Clearing choice on your Hub. Take care not to add a Clearing choice on your Hub before a university makes you an offer by phone or email. If you eventually get rejected, you won't be able to apply anywhere else until they confirm the rejection with Ucas.

Do universities accept lower grades through Clearing?

Some universities will lower the entry requirements for courses in Clearing, but many won't. It depends on all sorts of things, such as the subjects they are offering, how many places are still available, or whether there are minimum subject requirements for a specific course.

Unless a university has specifically published lower entry requirements for a course, it's safest to assume that you still need to meet the entry requirements given on the university website and prospectus. When you phone up, you can ask to confirm.

It was honestly super easy and I think the interviews were easier too than if I had applied normally. There were less spaces though so it felt more competitive.Most unis had forms to fill in, but I also called them to make sure they would accept the qualifications I had.elliehishon04 | (from The Student Room)

You've got your place, what next?

Once you’ve found a place through Clearing, the next challenge is sorting your university accommodation. While universities do their best to house all first year students in university halls, there are other options if you don't get a place.

Check out our guides on private halls, rentals and living at home to help you make a choice you'll be happy with. Oh, and don't forget to update your student finance when everything's sorted

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