What should my 5 be?

I want to study economics/ finance/ business.

What should my 5 UCAS be, and for Oxford which college should I specifically look at

Reply 1

University of Bath

Official Rep

Original post

by Rayyan637

I want to study economics/ finance/ business.
What should my 5 UCAS be, and for Oxford which college should I specifically look at

Hey there!

Great to hear you're starting to think about your options!

Which unis you choose to apply to is a very personal decision and you will be the best judge of what is best for you, and it also depends on what grades you are aiming for. I'd recommend taking a look at a few unis you might be interested in and seeing what their business/econ courses offer and what they require grade-wise.

A few starting suggestions of places which are highly ranked for business would be Oxford, us here at Bath, King's, Warwick & UCL (other good options are Exeter, Durham and Bristol); and for econ LSE, Warwick, UCL, St Andrews and Oxbridge (other good options are Bath, Durham and Leeds).

However its a case of looking into the courses they offer, and if you can visiting a few of the ones you're particularly interested in on their open days.

Hope this helps and best of luck (sorry I can't help much on your Oxford question!)

Holly
University of Bath

Reply 2

McGinger

If this for 2026 entry, you have plenty of time to do your own research, to look at course pages and entry requirements and go to relevant Open Days. No-one else can actually tell you where to apply - its up to you and your course interests, and the sort of Uni environment you want.

Reply 3

SoasRepMK

Official Rep

Original post

by Rayyan637

I want to study economics/ finance/ business.
What should my 5 UCAS be, and for Oxford which college should I specifically look at

Hi there, final year Arabic and Economics student here

It depends on your grades, predicted scores, and specific interests, but generally, for Economics/Finance/Business, top universities to consider include Oxford, Cambridge, LSE, UCL, and Warwick, as they are highly regarded for these fields.

That being said, every university structures its course differently, so it's important to research beyond rankings. For instance, at SOAS, the Economics programme has a strong international focus, offering modules like Economics in the Middle East—which may appeal if you're interested in global economic issues. Similarly, LSE has a very theoretical and mathematical approach, while Warwick places strong emphasis on applied economics and finance.

I’d also recommend using Unibuddy, where you can chat with current students, and attending open days to get a feel for different programmes. Finally, make sure that one of your five choices is a safety option—a university with lower entry requirements that you’d still be happy attending, to ensure you have a strong backup plan.

Marjan Karim
SOAS Student Rep

Reply 4

Stiffy Byng

Original post

by McGinger

This. In addition, your choices ought to depend on your academic profile. It is conventional to apply to one or two aspirational universities, two or three safe options, and one fall-back choice.

The best college at Oxford is whichever one (if any) makes you an offer. There is no "best college for subject X". The best mindset for an Oxford application is to assume that you won't get in (this being the most likely outcome on the numbers), but be happy if you do.