Your chances of getting into LSE Economics, and the TMUA score you need
For 2025 entry, 2,885 people applied for Economics at LSE and 412 received offers: 14%. Built from the test scores and outcomes of 420 past applicants who chose to send a TMUA score, released by LSE.
Your chances
Answer the questions, then see your chances
- Your estimate from the scores and outcomes of 420 past applicants who chose to send a TMUA score
- Adjusted for your grades, school and where you apply from
- A likely range, with each step that moved it
- What would change your odds, and a card to share
- Applied, 2025
- 2,885
- Offers
- 412
- Offer rate
- 14%
Economics selection in 2025
How many reached each stage in 2025. Your own chances appear here once you have answered.
| Stage | Students | AVG | You |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apply | 2,885 | ||
| Offer | 412 | 14% | ? |
How the offer rate rises with TMUA score
Show as a table
| TMUA | Offer rate | 80% confidence range |
|---|---|---|
| 4.0 | 18% | 12% to 22% |
| 4.5 | 20% | 16% to 25% |
| 5.0 | 26% | 21% to 29% |
| 5.5 | 31% | 28% to 34% |
| 6.0 | 37% | 36% to 38% |
| 6.5 | 46% | 44% to 48% |
| 7.0 | 57% | 53% to 64% |
| 7.5 | 64% | 57% to 72% |
| 8.0 | 75% | 65% to 84% |
| 8.5 | 79% | 67% to 88% |
| 9.0 | 82% | 68% to 90% |
Why you can trust this
420past test-takers
1 yearof scores linked to offers (2023 entry)
1.5xwider ranges, with no other year to test on
Method and sources
This estimate comes from applicants who sent LSE a TMUA score when sending one was optional. The all-applicant curve uses the 420 BSc Economics applicants with a score for 2023 entry. The UK curve uses the 312 UK applicants in LSE's file of UK A-level applicants who had a score for 2023 or 2024 entry, so UK applicants taking other qualifications, such as the IB, are not in it. Applicants from outside the UK are read from the all-applicant curve, which blends UK and international test-takers. Each curve is a smooth line fitted to those test-takers' offer rates by score, on the 1.0 to 9.0 TMUA scale, and can sit some way from the raw rate in a band: the all-applicant curve reads 57% at 7.0 and 64% at 7.5, where 43 of the 55 test-takers scoring 7.0 to 7.9 (78%) got offers in 2023.
The people who sent a score did much better than everyone else: for 2023 entry, 161 of the 420 with a score (38.3%) got offers, against 204 of the 3,216 without one (6.3%). So the curve describes a group that chose to sit the test. From 2025 entry the TMUA is compulsory for Economics, and LSE's course page and the UAT-UK course list both say it is compulsory for 2027 entry. Every applicant will have a score, so a 2027 applicant's real chance may be lower than the curve shows.
TMUA scores from 2025 entry onwards are on a different footing from 2023 and 2024 scores: LSE's averages fell sharply, including on courses where the test stayed optional. The calculator still reads the score you enter on the 2023 and 2024 curve, so the same number may not mean the same thing. Together with the self-selection above, this means your real chance could be lower or higher than the curve shows; treat the estimate as a rough guide.
The all-applicant curve rests on one year, and no year could be held out to test it, so every range is widened by half. Just below 5.0 the fitted lines sat a little above what happened there, so both curves are held at no more than the rate seen below 5.0 (22 of 109 test-takers, and 19 of 103 UK applicants). LSE has no grade or school fit of its own here, so the GCSE, A-level and school effects are the ones fitted for Oxford PPE. PPE's GCSE and A-level effects are measured against PPE applicants with the same score, who are unusually strong on grades, so here they are re-centred on the standard offer and used at half size: A*AA with eight or nine GCSE 8s and 9s counts as no change, as leaving grades blank does, and the range runs from no effect to PPE's full size. LSE does not interview, so there is no interview step.
- London School of Economics, FOI 5383 (reply 12 December 2023). BSc Economics applicants' TMUA scores and decisions, 2023 entry, all fee statuses.
- London School of Economics, FOI 6057 (reply 12 May 2025). UK (Home) applicants' TMUA scores, A-level subjects, predicted grades and decisions, 2022 to 2024 entry.
- LSE Planning Division, Applications, Offers and Entrants dashboard. Applications, offers and entrants by programme, 2018 to 2025 entry.
- London School of Economics, FOI 5409, FOI 6281, FOI 6382 and a 2026 reply on TMUA scores. Applicants with a score, and score averages and quartiles for applicants and offer holders, 2021 to 2026 entry.
- London School of Economics, FOI 4785, FOI 6672 and FOI 6764. Applications and offers by fee status.
- London School of Economics, FOI 4520 (reply 6 July 2022). Applications and offers by school type, 2017 to 2021 entry.
- London School of Economics, FOI 6524 (reply 26 February 2026). TMUA score quartiles for international applicants and offer holders, 2024 and 2025 entry.
- London School of Economics, reply of 19 March 2026. Home applicants and offers without Further Maths, 2025 entry.
- LSE BSc Economics course page and Admissions Information page for 2027 entry, Internet Archive captures of the course page for 2023 to 2026 entry, and UAT-UK, Course List 2027 Entry.
- Grade equivalence: Ofqual, grade standards for new GCSEs (2017); Cambridge International, A guide to A*-G and 9-1 grades (2025); Ecctis for the IB, MYP grade comparisons with the GCSE (2021); LSE, BSc Economics entry requirements.
- GCSE, A-level and school effects: taken from the Oxford PPE calculator, whose method lists their sources.
This estimate cannot see your personal statement, reference or contextual data. It describes applicants who chose to send a score in 2023 and 2024, and scores have run lower since 2025, so a 2027 applicant's real chance could be lower or higher. LSE has told people who asked for past figures that they will not offer any insight on an individual application. The GCSE, A-level and school effects are borrowed from Oxford PPE and may not match LSE. Predicted and achieved grades are treated the same.
LSE Economics admissions statistics
What the numbers LSE has released say about getting into BSc Economics: how many people apply, how past TMUA test-takers fared, and how the odds differ by where you apply from, your school and your grades. The score data come from 2023 and 2024 entry, when sending a TMUA score was optional and the applicants who sent one got offers far more often than those who did not (38% against 6% for 2023 entry). The test has been compulsory since 2025 entry, and is compulsory for 2027.
38% vs 6%
offer rate with a TMUA score, against without one
More detail
2023 entry, when a score was optional: 161 of 420 against 204 of 3,216. The calculator's curve is built from those test-takers. The test has been compulsory since 2025 entry, and scores have run lower since, so your real chance could be lower or higher than the curve shows.
1 in 7
applicants got an offer
More detail
412 offers from 2,885 applications for 2025 entry, the first year the TMUA was compulsory. It was about 1 in 10 for 2023 entry (372 from 3,617).
76%
of test-takers scoring 7.0 or more got an offer
More detail
2023 entry, an optional year: 48 of 63. Of those scoring below 5.0, 22 of 109 did (20%).
25.0%
of UK applicants predicted Further Maths got offers
More detail
Against 2.3% of those without it, 2023 and 2024 entry (305 of 1,219 against 24 of 1,024). Part of the gap reflects other differences between the groups.
LSE Economics acceptance rate
For 2025 entry, 2,885 people applied for BSc Economics at LSE and 412 received offers.
That is an offer rate of 14.3%, or about 1 in 7.
LSE's course page shows 13 applications for each place, which counts students who started: 218 started for 2025 entry, about half of the offers (52.9%). Applicants per offer were about 7.
The offer rate has moved a lot: 20.5% for 2018 entry, 8.2% for 2021 entry, when applications peaked at 4,107, and 14.3% for 2025 entry.
- Applied
- Offered a place
- Started
Applications fell from 3,731 for 2024 entry to 2,885 for 2025 entry, the first year the TMUA was compulsory. The data do not say why.
LSE did not mention the TMUA on the course page for 2023 entry and described it as not required for 2024 entry. It has been mandatory from 2025 entry.
Show the data as a table
| Entry | Applications | Offers | Offer rate | Started |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,885 | 412 | 14.3% | 218 |
| 2024 | 3,731 | 429 | 11.5% | 224 |
| 2023 | 3,617 | 372 | 10.3% | 178 |
| 2022 | 3,927 | 437 | 11.1% | 261 |
| 2021 | 4,107 | 335 | 8.2% | 202 |
| 2020 | 3,291 | 481 | 14.6% | 264 |
| 2019 | 2,905 | 498 | 17.1% | 235 |
| 2018 | 2,649 | 543 | 20.5% | 249 |
Did applicants with a TMUA score get more offers?
In the years with score data the TMUA was optional and few applicants sent one. For 2023 entry, 420 of 3,636 applicants (11.6%) had a score.
Those 420 got offers 38.3% of the time (161 offers), against 6.3% of the 3,216 without a score (204 offers). They took 44% of all offers.
UK applicants show the same pattern: with a score, 38.0% got offers for 2023 entry and 37.7% for 2024 entry, against 9.7% and 12.0% without one.
- With a score
- Without a score
These are self-selected groups, and the data cannot show whether the test caused the difference. Among UK applicants predicted Further Maths, those with a score got offers 38.1% of the time for 2023 entry and 41.5% for 2024 entry, against 19.8% and 21.2% without one.
For 2021 and 2022 entry almost nobody applied with a score (fewer than 5, then 7), so there is no score curve for those years.
From 2025 entry the TMUA is mandatory, and LSE's Admissions Information page and the UAT-UK course list both give it as compulsory for 2027 entry. Applicants with a score are then everyone, so the curve may show a higher chance than a 2027 applicant at the same score really has.
Show the data as a table
| Applicants | With a score | Offer rate with a score | Offer rate without a score |
|---|---|---|---|
| All, 2023 entry | 420 of 3,636 | 38.3% (161 of 420) | 6.3% (204 of 3,216) |
| UK, 2023 entry | 150 of 1,065 | 38.0% (57 of 150) | 9.7% (89 of 915) |
| UK, 2024 entry | 162 of 1,181 | 37.7% (61 of 162) | 12.0% (122 of 1,019) |
What TMUA score do you need for LSE Economics?
A TMUA score of about 5.7 gave test-takers a 1 in 3 chance of an offer, and about 5.2 for UK applicants.
LSE publishes no pass mark. Its course page says the TMUA is mandatory, and it is compulsory for 2027 entry.
The estimates below come from test-takers' own offer rates in 2023 (all applicants) and 2023 and 2024 (UK applicants), when a score was optional. Those test-takers got offers far more often than other applicants, so a 2027 applicant's real chance may be lower.
Scores have also run lower since 2025, so a score you sit now may be worth more than the same number was in 2023 and 2024. Your real chance could be lower or higher than the curve shows.
On the all-applicant curve a score of about 5.7 gives a 1 in 3 chance of an offer. On the UK curve it is about 5.2.
At 7.0 the estimate is about 57% on the all-applicant curve and 78% on the UK curve.
Which LSE courses require or recommend the TMUA is in our LSE TMUA guide.
- All applicants
- UK applicants
In the raw 2023 counts for applicants with a score, 76.2% of those scoring 7.0 or more got offers (48 of 63), against 33.0% at 5.0 to 5.9 (33 of 100) and 20.2% below 5.0 (22 of 109). Of the 8 scoring 8.0 or more, 5 got offers.
Even those scoring below 5.0 did better than applicants with no score (6.3%), which says something about who chose to sit the test as well as about the score.
Offer holders with a score averaged 6.3 for 2023 entry against 5.8 for all test-takers, and 6.9 against 6.4 for 2024 entry.
LSE also released scores for the compulsory years, and we keep them apart from the curve. For UK offer holders the middle score was 5.2 for 2025 entry and 5.4 for 2026 entry, and none scored below 4.0.
Scores from 2025 entry onwards are on a different footing from 2023 and 2024 scores, because LSE's averages fell sharply, including on courses where the test stayed optional. Read them on their own.
Show the data as a table
| TMUA score | Test-takers scoring below | Offer, all applicants | Offer, UK applicants |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0 | 3% | 11% | 6% |
| 4.0 | 11% | 18% | 15% |
| 5.0 | 26% | 26% | 30% |
| 6.0 | 50% | 37% | 52% |
| 7.0 | 85% | 57% | 78% |
| 8.0 | 98% | 75% | 88% |
| 9.0 | 100% | 82% | 92% |
UK and international applicants
UK applicants had better odds than overseas applicants from 2020 to 2022 entry. For 2022 entry, 14.7% of UK applicants got offers (215 of 1,462), against 8.9% of overseas applicants (221 of 2,481).
For 2017 to 2019 entry the two were within 2 points of each other.
- UK
- Overseas
The change came with a jump in overseas applications, from 1,422 for 2019 entry to 2,654 for 2021 entry.
LSE counted 2,246 overseas applicants for 2024 entry and 1,798 for 2025 entry, and made 171 offers to UK applicants for 2025 entry. No release gives both applicants and offers for each group after 2022, so we have no later rate.
International applicants who sent a score were strong. For 2024 entry the middle international applicant with a score scored 7.0 and the middle UK one 6.2, and the middle international offer holder scored 7.3 (lowest 5.9) against 6.6 for UK offer holders.
The calculator reads UK applicants from the UK curve. Applicants from outside the UK are read from the all-applicant curve, which blends UK and international test-takers, with no further adjustment. Because UK test-takers did better at the same score, this probably reads high for an international applicant.
Show the data as a table
| Entry | UK | Overseas |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 14.7% (215 of 1,462) | 8.9% (221 of 2,481) |
| 2021 | 11.8% (174 of 1,474) | 6.1% (161 of 2,654) |
| 2020 | 16.4% (263 of 1,607) | 12.8% (218 of 1,700) |
| 2019 | 18.0% (269 of 1,497) | 16.1% (229 of 1,422) |
| 2018 | 21.1% (277 of 1,314) | 19.9% (266 of 1,335) |
| 2017 | 18.3% (242 of 1,326) | 20.2% (257 of 1,273) |
Do GCSEs, A-levels and Further Maths matter?
LSE's standard offer for Economics is A*AA with an A* in Mathematics (IB: 39 points with 766 at Higher Level, including a 7 in Mathematics).
The contextual offer is A*AB with an A* in Mathematics. GCSE English Language and Mathematics at grade 6 or higher are the minimum.
Further Maths is desirable, and in the data it goes with very different odds. For 2023 and 2024 entry, 25.0% of UK A-level applicants predicted Further Maths got offers (305 of 1,219), against 2.3% without it (24 of 1,024).
Applicants predicted only the standard offer rarely got one: 6.3% of those predicted A*AA (18 of 287), and none of the 65 predicted AAA.
Applicants taking four or more full A-levels got offers 21.7% of the time (206 of 948), against 9.4% for exactly three (116 of 1,230). These are raw rates, and applicants with more A-levels differ in other ways too.
For 2025 entry LSE counted 9 offers to 491 UK applicants without Further Maths (1.8%). LSE says applicants whose school does not offer it will not be disadvantaged, and asks you or your referee to say so on your application.
The calculator's GCSE and A-level effects are borrowed from Oxford PPE. The pattern above is LSE's own and shows how much grades matter here.
Show the data as a table
| Best three predicted | Applicants | Offers | Offer rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| A*A*A* | 1,172 | 255 | 21.8% |
| A*A*A | 501 | 48 | 9.6% |
| A*AA | 287 | 18 | 6.3% |
| AAA | 65 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Below AAA | 153 | 1 | 0.7% |
School type and contextual offers
LSE released offers by school type for 2017 to 2021 entry. For 2021 entry, 8.0% of state-school applications got offers (285 of 3,562), against 9.2% of all other applications with school data (50 of 541).
For 2017 entry the gap was wide: 17.1% against 30.6% (136 of 445). LSE does not define state school, and these figures mix UK and international applicants and come from before the TMUA years.
- State school
- Other schools
LSE's contextual offer is one grade below the standard offer, A*AB with an A* in Mathematics for 2027 entry, for eligible UK applicants.
In LSE's UK A-level file, 60 of 178 offers for 2022 entry were contextual, 39 of 146 for 2023 entry and 56 of 183 for 2024 entry.
A separate LSE reply counts 22 of 171 UK offers as contextual for 2025 entry. The two cover different groups, so we do not compare them.
The calculator's school effect comes from Oxford PPE's fit, which compares applicants with the same grades; LSE's raw figures above do not control for grades.
Show the data as a table
| Entry | State school | Other schools |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 8.0% (285 of 3,562) | 9.2% (50 of 541) |
| 2017 | 17.1% (361 of 2,106) | 30.6% (136 of 445) |
Questions about LSE Economics admissions
What is the acceptance rate for LSE Economics?
About 14.3% of applicants got an offer for 2025 entry: 412 offers from 2,885 applications, or about 1 in 7. Over 2018 to 2025 entry the offer rate ranged from 8.2% (2021) to 20.5% (2018). The 13 to 1 on LSE's course page counts applications for each student who started.
Is the TMUA compulsory for LSE Economics?
Yes for 2027 entry. LSE's course page says the test is mandatory, as it has for every year since 2025 entry. For 2023 entry the course page did not mention it, and for 2024 entry it said the test was not required.
What TMUA score do I need for LSE Economics?
LSE sets no pass mark. On our all-applicant curve a score of about 5.7 gives a 1 in 3 chance, and about 5.2 on the UK curve. The curve is built from test-takers in 2023 and 2024, when a score was optional, so treat it as a guide to the shape.
Why might my real chance differ from the calculator?
The calculator uses applicants who chose to send a score. For 2023 entry they got offers 38.3% of the time, against 6.3% of applicants without one. Since 2025 entry everyone has had to sit the test, so in 2027 you are compared with the whole field. Scores have also run lower since 2025, so your real chance could be lower or higher than the curve shows.
Do I need Further Maths for LSE Economics?
LSE calls it desirable and does not require it. In the data it matters a lot: 25.0% of UK applicants predicted Further Maths got offers in 2023 and 2024, against 2.3% without it. LSE says applicants whose school does not offer it will not be disadvantaged.
Does LSE interview for Economics?
No. LSE does not interview for any of its degrees. It decides from your UCAS application, which covers predicted grades, subjects, personal statement, reference and contextual data, plus the TMUA.
Is it harder to get into LSE Economics from outside the UK?
From 2020 to 2022 entry it was. For 2022 entry the offer rate was 14.7% for UK applicants and 8.9% for overseas applicants. For 2017 to 2019 entry the two were within 2 points.
Keep going
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Updated 25 October 2026 · GhostPrep is independent of the London School of Economics. Figures describe past applicants and are an estimate for planning, with no guarantee of any outcome.