The Student Room Group

What would be some realistic universities for me?

I got GCSE grades 877666664 (6 in maths, 8 in English language). I am studying the A-Levels Art, Economics and English literature currently, and I want to do either an economics degree or an accounting/ accounting and finance degree. I have only just decided recently that I want to do accounting or banking in the future. When I do pick unis, I'm considering Nottingham, Liverpool, Durham, Exeter, Royal Holloway, Birmingham and Edinburgh, and then Reading as a safe university since I've done a scholarship scheme and would be guaranteed a place there. I really do hope that I will have offers from RG unis this time next year! I was wondering how realistic it would be for me to get a place at any of these universities considering my grades and subjects, and what my 5 choices could be for safe but great offers? Thank you so much!!
Original post
by priceydoritos
I got GCSE grades 877666664 (6 in maths, 8 in English language). I am studying the A-Levels Art, Economics and English literature currently, and I want to do either an economics degree or an accounting/ accounting and finance degree. I have only just decided recently that I want to do accounting or banking in the future. When I do pick unis, I'm considering Nottingham, Liverpool, Durham, Exeter, Royal Holloway, Birmingham and Edinburgh, and then Reading as a safe university since I've done a scholarship scheme and would be guaranteed a place there. I really do hope that I will have offers from RG unis this time next year! I was wondering how realistic it would be for me to get a place at any of these universities considering my grades and subjects, and what my 5 choices could be for safe but great offers? Thank you so much!!

You need to visit each web site and check the entry requirements for your chosen courses. For example Economics at Durham is a non-starter as the require A level Mathematics (see here). The same is true of Economics at Liverpool (see here), and Economics at Exeter (see here).

It's a bit tedious to check them all one by one, but I'd expect that your lack of Mathematics at A level will rule-out many of your target uni / course combinations, I'm afraid. :frown:

Reply 2

Original post
by priceydoritos
I got GCSE grades 877666664 (6 in maths, 8 in English language). I am studying the A-Levels Art, Economics and English literature currently, and I want to do either an economics degree or an accounting/ accounting and finance degree. I have only just decided recently that I want to do accounting or banking in the future. When I do pick unis, I'm considering Nottingham, Liverpool, Durham, Exeter, Royal Holloway, Birmingham and Edinburgh, and then Reading as a safe university since I've done a scholarship scheme and would be guaranteed a place there. I really do hope that I will have offers from RG unis this time next year! I was wondering how realistic it would be for me to get a place at any of these universities considering my grades and subjects, and what my 5 choices could be for safe but great offers? Thank you so much!!


Is there a reason you didn't do maths A level? It's required for econ/finance at many RGs. Did a quick google search and from your list you'd only meet the entry requirements for Reading (for BA econ, not the BSc). Nottingham, Birmingham, and Royal Holloway all want a grade 7 in maths GCSE and the others want A level maths. If you look for unis that offer BA Econ rather than BSc, they are usually less demanding on the maths requirements. Not sure about accounting degrees, but they are a lot less mathematical than econ degrees so you'd probably have more options when applying to those. I don't think any from your list require maths A level for accounting, just a GCSE grade 6 which you have (although you may want to check yourself since I searched it very quickly).

If you wanted to do econ, you could have a look at these:

Manchester BA Econ - https://www.manchester.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/2025/05134/baecon-economics/entry-requirements/#a-level
Sheffield BA Econ - https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/2026/economics-ba#entryreqs
Lancaster BA Econ (not a RG but still a good uni) - https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/economics-ba-hons-l110/2026/

Reply 3

Original post
by pagan-scimitar
Is there a reason you didn't do maths A level? It's required for econ/finance at many RGs. Did a quick google search and from your list you'd only meet the entry requirements for Reading (for BA econ, not the BSc). Nottingham, Birmingham, and Royal Holloway all want a grade 7 in maths GCSE and the others want A level maths. If you look for unis that offer BA Econ rather than BSc, they are usually less demanding on the maths requirements. Not sure about accounting degrees, but they are a lot less mathematical than econ degrees so you'd probably have more options when applying to those. I don't think any from your list require maths A level for accounting, just a GCSE grade 6 which you have (although you may want to check yourself since I searched it very quickly).
If you wanted to do econ, you could have a look at these:
Manchester BA Econ - https://www.manchester.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/2025/05134/baecon-economics/entry-requirements/#a-level
Sheffield BA Econ - https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/2026/economics-ba#entryreqs
Lancaster BA Econ (not a RG but still a good uni) - https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/economics-ba-hons-l110/2026/

thank you for your reply! for the universities i listed, i meant accounting and finance degrees whoops i should have mentioned that. i am very passionate about economics but only discovered this after taking it as an alevel and i half-suck at maths so i didnt pick it. do you think that an accounting degree would be worth it? im only picking the degree since i dont really have a preference of degree and haven't cleared it up yet, and i think id get a good shot at a rg uni with it. :smile:

Reply 4

Original post
by DataVenia
You need to visit each web site and check the entry requirements for your chosen courses. For example Economics at Durham is a non-starter as the require A level Mathematics (see here). The same is true of Economics at Liverpool (see here), and Economics at Exeter (see here).
It's a bit tedious to check them all one by one, but I'd expect that your lack of Mathematics at A level will rule-out many of your target uni / course combinations, I'm afraid. :frown:

thank you for your reply! for the universities i listed, i meant accounting and finance degrees whoops i should have mentioned that. i am very passionate about economics but only discovered this after taking it as an alevel and i half-suck at maths so i didnt pick it. do you think that an accounting degree would be worth it? im only picking the degree since i dont really have a preference of degree and haven't cleared it up yet, and i think id get a good shot at a rg uni with it. :smile:
Original post
by priceydoritos
thank you for your reply! for the universities i listed, i meant accounting and finance degrees whoops i should have mentioned that. i am very passionate about economics but only discovered this after taking it as an alevel and i half-suck at maths so i didnt pick it. do you think that an accounting degree would be worth it? im only picking the degree since i dont really have a preference of degree and haven't cleared it up yet, and i think id get a good shot at a rg uni with it. :smile:

That's odd because you wrote, "I want to do either an economics degree or an accounting/ accounting and finance degree." Have you changed you mind, and no longer want to do an Economics degree? Or were you thinking of Economics elsewhere (i.e. not at the universities you listed)? Where did you have in mind?

Regarding whether "an accounting degree would be worth it", I guess it depends on what you want to do with that degree. If you want to go into Accountancy, then it'd be perfect. However, given that you are "very passionate about economics", it might not be the right degree for you. There are some Economics degrees about which are less Maths-focused. Perhaps those would be of interest? See @pagan-scimitar's post above where they've kindly listed some examples. Your GCSE results and A level subjects would appear to meet the requirements for each.

Reply 6

Original post
by priceydoritos
thank you for your reply! for the universities i listed, i meant accounting and finance degrees whoops i should have mentioned that. i am very passionate about economics but only discovered this after taking it as an alevel and i half-suck at maths so i didnt pick it. do you think that an accounting degree would be worth it? im only picking the degree since i dont really have a preference of degree and haven't cleared it up yet, and i think id get a good shot at a rg uni with it. :smile:


If you don't have a preference of degree yet then thats what you need to decide first. Personally I'd only choose an accounting degree if you actually want to become an accountant in the future, as accounting/finance degrees are actually very different to economics degrees. It's worth doing more research to see which degree actually interests you more, then from there you can figure out which unis you could apply to.

Reply 7

Agree with advice already given. There certainly are Econ type degrees that are less maths focussed. Usually accounting would require you to be strong in maths. However if there are accounting degrees that don't require maths - that might be the way to go. If you have good maths grades at GCSE this should help. And you could consider doing AS maths on the side, and of course make sure your PS is accounting focussed - or showing the enthusiasm for the specific course you choose. One thing for sure though, if you aren't meeting the entry requirements for subjects, you'll have a rejection...so do your research to find the courses that fit. Good question. It is very hard to be clear at this stage! Good luck

Reply 8

Original post
by priceydoritos
I got GCSE grades 877666664 (6 in maths, 8 in English language). I am studying the A-Levels Art, Economics and English literature currently, and I want to do either an economics degree or an accounting/ accounting and finance degree. I have only just decided recently that I want to do accounting or banking in the future. When I do pick unis, I'm considering Nottingham, Liverpool, Durham, Exeter, Royal Holloway, Birmingham and Edinburgh, and then Reading as a safe university since I've done a scholarship scheme and would be guaranteed a place there. I really do hope that I will have offers from RG unis this time next year! I was wondering how realistic it would be for me to get a place at any of these universities considering my grades and subjects, and what my 5 choices could be for safe but great offers? Thank you so much!!

Hi @priceydoritos

I hope you're well.

It is great to hear that you are considering Reading! If you have any questions about the uni then please just let us know.

Hattie😊
4MSci Speech and Language Therapy

Reply 9

Original post
by priceydoritos
I got GCSE grades 877666664 (6 in maths, 8 in English language). I am studying the A-Levels Art, Economics and English literature currently, and I want to do either an economics degree or an accounting/ accounting and finance degree. I have only just decided recently that I want to do accounting or banking in the future. When I do pick unis, I'm considering Nottingham, Liverpool, Durham, Exeter, Royal Holloway, Birmingham and Edinburgh, and then Reading as a safe university since I've done a scholarship scheme and would be guaranteed a place there. I really do hope that I will have offers from RG unis this time next year! I was wondering how realistic it would be for me to get a place at any of these universities considering my grades and subjects, and what my 5 choices could be for safe but great offers? Thank you so much!!


Hi 2nd year banking and finance student here. Basically the advice that has already been given is ok, but not great (no offence) especially from a “clearing advisor”. Econ especially at most Russel groups do prefer you to take “a level maths” however, it’s definitely not a deciding factor if you demonstrate already that you do “accounting or finance” or even Econ at a levels. This is what they fail to mention here and why ur case is slightly different to others without A level maths. Doesn’t mean that A level maths wouldnt significantly help you with an Econ degree if u was to choose it (highly advise u not to take it if you didn’t get A or higher in GCSE). Bsc Econ at Bangor for example doesn’t require A level maths, UWE doesn’t require A level maths (when I applied anyways). Not top universities by any means but to generalise it as outright A level maths is such a myth, it’s down to an individual assessment and alongside your other grades as well. However, I would stay far away from anything accounting even if it’s (Bsc Accounting and finance) purely because it will be heavily weighted in accounting and u won’t be a qualified accountant try to get an apprenticeship for this if possible. If so your options are also “Bsc finance, Bsc banking and finance, Bsc finance and law etc” if you want more in depth information about what’s is like (I studied econ 1st year but dropped it, btw didn’t take A level maths, but was one of the reason why I dropped it etc) then don’t be afraid to ask. Best of luck :smile:

Reply 10

Original post
by Rhewer1
Hi 2nd year banking and finance student here. Basically the advice that has already been given is ok, but not great (no offence) especially from a “clearing advisor”. Econ especially at most Russel groups do prefer you to take “a level maths” however, it’s definitely not a deciding factor if you demonstrate already that you do “accounting or finance” or even Econ at a levels. This is what they fail to mention here and why ur case is slightly different to others without A level maths. Doesn’t mean that A level maths wouldnt significantly help you with an Econ degree if u was to choose it (highly advise u not to take it if you didn’t get A or higher in GCSE). Bsc Econ at Bangor for example doesn’t require A level maths, UWE doesn’t require A level maths (when I applied anyways). Not top universities by any means but to generalise it as outright A level maths is such a myth, it’s down to an individual assessment and alongside your other grades as well. However, I would stay far away from anything accounting even if it’s (Bsc Accounting and finance) purely because it will be heavily weighted in accounting and u won’t be a qualified accountant try to get an apprenticeship for this if possible. If so your options are also “Bsc finance, Bsc banking and finance, Bsc finance and law etc” if you want more in depth information about what’s is like (I studied econ 1st year but dropped it, btw didn’t take A level maths, but was one of the reason why I dropped it etc) then don’t be afraid to ask. Best of luck :smile:


I would like to add here when I said that when I say it’s not a “deciding factor” I mean most universities, when they say they require “A level maths” sometimes normally state that they would take economics as a substitute. Not all do this! But I know some RG’s that do, can’t name them off the top of my head but there was quite a few when I applied that would take that substitute depending on “grade” and all the other “grades alongside it” obviously don’t be stupid and apply to Bath, LSE etc they won’t normally do this. But some lower ranked RG’s definitely do (if u wanted to go down this route)

Reply 11

Original post
by Rhewer1
I would like to add here when I said that when I say it’s not a “deciding factor” I mean most universities, when they say they require “A level maths” sometimes normally state that they would take economics as a substitute. Not all do this! But I know some RG’s that do, can’t name them off the top of my head but there was quite a few when I applied that would take that substitute depending on “grade” and all the other “grades alongside it” obviously don’t be stupid and apply to Bath, LSE etc they won’t normally do this. But some lower ranked RG’s definitely do (if u wanted to go down this route)

wow this was incredibly useful, thank you so much!! i decided recently to go into law or something instead since i'm good at essay-writing and it fits me a bit better as a social science. i'm scared about how competitive law is though and I don't know if my GCSE grades are good enough for any law university :frown:

Reply 12

Put it this way too Rgs such as “Cambridge, Oxford, LSE etc” you will normally have to have A-A* in practically English language, Maths, science. Also you will also have to get A-A*s as well at A level. For mid Rg universities, maybe AAB will do it if you have strong GCSEs or A levels (more focused on A levels for mid Rgs). For lower Rgs maybe you can get away with BBB or something similar (depends case by case). For things such as law, maths, finance, medicine they are less likely to be more forgiving. However, like I said before RGs (including top Rgs such as St Joseph) vs Non rgs typically depends on how you learn. Btw just a heads up, law isn’t just “essays” it’s vigorous work between case law, common law, law of Tort. You will have to remember case laws off by heart for the exams (there are many). Not to put u off it but it’s definitely more than just essays. I wish you all the best! Good luck :smile:

Reply 13

Original post
by Rhewer1
Put it this way too Rgs such as “Cambridge, Oxford, LSE etc” you will normally have to have A-A* in practically English language, Maths, science. Also you will also have to get A-A*s as well at A level. For mid Rg universities, maybe AAB will do it if you have strong GCSEs or A levels (more focused on A levels for mid Rgs). For lower Rgs maybe you can get away with BBB or something similar (depends case by case). For things such as law, maths, finance, medicine they are less likely to be more forgiving. However, like I said before RGs (including top Rgs such as St Joseph) vs Non rgs typically depends on how you learn. Btw just a heads up, law isn’t just “essays” it’s vigorous work between case law, common law, law of Tort. You will have to remember case laws off by heart for the exams (there are many). Not to put u off it but it’s definitely more than just essays. I wish you all the best! Good luck :smile:


Sorry my bad when I say top rgs such as St Joseph, I was meant to say NON RG unis like St Andrews. My bad here
(edited 10 months ago)

Reply 14

Original post
by priceydoritos
I got GCSE grades 877666664 (6 in maths, 8 in English language). I am studying the A-Levels Art, Economics and English literature currently, and I want to do either an economics degree or an accounting/ accounting and finance degree. I have only just decided recently that I want to do accounting or banking in the future. When I do pick unis, I'm considering Nottingham, Liverpool, Durham, Exeter, Royal Holloway, Birmingham and Edinburgh, and then Reading as a safe university since I've done a scholarship scheme and would be guaranteed a place there. I really do hope that I will have offers from RG unis this time next year! I was wondering how realistic it would be for me to get a place at any of these universities considering my grades and subjects, and what my 5 choices could be for safe but great offers? Thank you so much!!

Hello @priceydoritos 👋

It is brilliant that you know what you want to study and are researching your options. Good luck with your exams 🤞🍀 how is everything? Have you considered the University of Essex? 🎓️

Economics at Essex ranked 7th in the UK for economics (The Guardian University Guide 2025) and 4th in the UK for research power (REF 2021) with two Nobel Prize winners just in this department. You can study Economics BA or BSc, or a joint degree such as BA Financial Economics and Accounting. Network with students and guest speakers at events and societies (Economics, Essex Trading and Finance, Essex Business Club), read about research and explore Economics at Essex. 💹📰🗣️

The University of Essex has the UK’s first zero carbon business school building containing a state-of-the-art trading floor with Bloomberg Financial Market Labs, and Essex Startups who can support you and your business ideas with mentoring, workshops and funding competitions. Gain hands on experience of the stock market, and to practice, as you learn to trade with the Essex Equity Fund. This student-led learning initiative gives you money, a chance to develop practical asset management, and experience with specialist mentorship and investment coaching from investors. 💼📊

There is the option to extend your course: spending an additional year on a work placement to increase your employability or studying abroad at one of our 150 partner institutions to experience learning in another country. Previous Economics undergraduate students have completed placements in: the Bank of England, Barclays, Goldman Sachs, Google, Samsung, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the Office for National Statistics. 🗺️🔍️

The University of Essex is just outside of Colchester, less than one hour away from London on the train (with three stations near to campus). Our Students' Union is amazing (top 10 in the UK), with over 165 societies to join, a library (open 24/7), gym and sports centre (free if you live on campus), cinema, two bars and a nightclub on campus. Students are supported by the Student Wellbeing and Inclusivity Service and we are now ranked 29th in the British Universities and Colleges Sport table. 🌟

Come along to one of our Open Days where you can tour our campus and accommodation, speak to current students and academic staff within your department, and meet your future classmates. 🎒🤝

You can chat to current students on Unibuddy to find out more! 📱

I hope this helps, please let us know if you have any more questions 😊

Essex Official Rep - Amy 🌞

Reply 15

Original post
by priceydoritos
I got GCSE grades 877666664 (6 in maths, 8 in English language). I am studying the A-Levels Art, Economics and English literature currently, and I want to do either an economics degree or an accounting/ accounting and finance degree. I have only just decided recently that I want to do accounting or banking in the future. When I do pick unis, I'm considering Nottingham, Liverpool, Durham, Exeter, Royal Holloway, Birmingham and Edinburgh, and then Reading as a safe university since I've done a scholarship scheme and would be guaranteed a place there. I really do hope that I will have offers from RG unis this time next year! I was wondering how realistic it would be for me to get a place at any of these universities considering my grades and subjects, and what my 5 choices could be for safe but great offers? Thank you so much!!

I've looked at each course.

Nottingham
Accountancy BSc AAA, no particular A Levels, 6 in Maths and 5 in English GCSE.
Finance, Accounting and Management BSc same as above
Economics BSc A*AA, 7 in GCSE maths
Could get maybe 1 grade knocked off if you have contextual/extenuating circumstances.

Liverpool
Accounting and Finance BSc hons AAB
Economics BSc hons same as above

Durham
Accounting and Finance BSc AAB, or BBB/ABC if contextual
Economics BSc A*AA including Mathematics, does not say about if you don’t do economics, so ask them.

Exeter
Accounting and Finance AAB, no subject discrimination
Economics A*AA, AAA, at least a B in Mathematics, you’ll need to contact them about your combination.

Royal Holloway
Accounting and Finance ABB/BBB
Economics same as above, bar higher requirement for GCSE maths

Birmingham
Accounting and Finance AAA
Economics A*AA as you don’t do maths

Edinburgh
Accounting and Finance MA A*A*A/AAA standard, ABB if contextual
Economics A*A*A* to A*AA standard, contextual same as above. At least a B in Mathematics regardless.

Economics is much more competitive in terms of applications as it is usually oversubscribed.
Accounting and Finance is of course less as can be seen by the lower grades. Don't be swayed away based off the mathematical element, accounting and finance is relatively simple maths.

However, if you really wish to launch your career and may be less bothered about the uni experience, I'd strongly recommend degree apprenticeships as with economics you need to do summer internships to viably get a job in a top place, otherwise it often is seen with little value alongside other humanities to employers.
If you chose accounting and finance you'd have a wide choice of modules but won't be able to go straight into accounting outside of uni as whilst at some unis you may be exempt from some exams, you still need to do some. Additionally, you need to attain the degree from a target uni, which you can find online, to get into any of the top investment banks, etc if that's what you're aiming for.

In conclusion, get in touch with the unis, potentially consider joint honours. Definitely look at summer internships and years of industry if you choose to go to uni. If you really wish to kickstart your career look for accounting/economics degree apprenticeships when they start advertising.

Reply 16

Original post
by priceydoritos
I got GCSE grades 877666664 (6 in maths, 8 in English language). I am studying the A-Levels Art, Economics and English literature currently, and I want to do either an economics degree or an accounting/ accounting and finance degree. I have only just decided recently that I want to do accounting or banking in the future. When I do pick unis, I'm considering Nottingham, Liverpool, Durham, Exeter, Royal Holloway, Birmingham and Edinburgh, and then Reading as a safe university since I've done a scholarship scheme and would be guaranteed a place there. I really do hope that I will have offers from RG unis this time next year! I was wondering how realistic it would be for me to get a place at any of these universities considering my grades and subjects, and what my 5 choices could be for safe but great offers? Thank you so much!!

Hi there,

If you are interested in Liverpool Hope, we offer a brilliant Accounting and Finance degree, with work placement and study abroad opportunities! The entry requirements for this course are BCC.

Another specialism at Hope is our combined courses, and there are around 7 different courses you could take alongside Accounting & Finance, including Business Management, Computer Science, Law, Economics (and more!) which may be of interest to you as it keeps your career options more open.

I appreciate that you are interested in Russell Group Universities, but it's worth looking into your options. A degree is a degree, and you may benefit from things such as the small class sizes at Hope, as we only have around 6000 students in total! Compared to larger Universities, which may have around 33,000 students, you will have much more direct contact time with your tutors and access to resources.

Best of luck with whatever you end up doing!

Ella 🙂

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