USA - Subjects - University of St Andrews

USA entry requirements

This page outlines the entry requirements for students who normally live in the USA and wish to study at the University of St Andrews. This includes the academic and English language requirements, as well as information on fees, scholarships and visas.

  • If you are studying the US high school curriculum or an accredited US high school diploma, you will need to meet the entry requirements below. Obtaining the following grades will not guarantee you a place as we consider all aspects of your application, including the personal statement and the context in which you achieved your qualifications. Preference will be given to candidates offering strong subject-specific qualifications.

    We look for grades of A or B in honours level courses on your high school record, or three AP subjects with scores of 4+ within the context of the rigour offered at your high school.

    Competitive applicants will have taken:

    • a rigorous curriculum at high school, which should include a college preparatory curriculum
    • grades of A or B in honours level courses on your high school record (or equivalent), or Advanced Placement (AP) classes (or equivalent), or HL/SL within the context of your high school diploma.

    Many of our courses require you to have a particular background in the subject(s). This is known as ‘pre-requisite’ knowledge. Pre-requisite qualifications, if required, will be listed on our subject pages.

    Examples of pre-requisite knowledge requirements are:

    • Evidence of top grades across honours classes taken in the required subject, including the most challenging options in the school curriculum. For example, “Honors English IV – Literature” (or equivalent) for entry to study English
    • AP scores of 5 on subject tests. For example, “AP Calculus BC” (or equivalent) for entry to study Mathematics, Physics or Computer Science programmes
    • HL 6 in IB certificates. For example, “HL 6 in History” for entry to study Modern History

    SAT and ACT test optional for the application cycles 2024-2025, and 2025-2026 (September 2025 and September 2026 entry)

    • We will not penalize students for the absence of a standardized test score. Most applicants are likely to have taken at least one type of standardized test (AP, SAT, or ACT), but we will consider applicants without testing.
    • If you do submit scores, we look for the following:
      • ACT: score of 28+ (writing optional). Applicants are welcome to submit all of their ACT test scores. We will consider the highest scores submitted for each section across multiple testing dates.
      • SAT: score of 1320+ (essay optional). We will assess the SAT total score out of 1600 and will focus on individual sub-scores in a holistic manner and within the context of the overall application.
      • We will superscore both the ACT the SAT.

    AP, IB, and SAT Subject Test scores will be used for admissions purposes only and no credits for advanced entry or exemptions will be awarded.

    Unofficial scores are acceptable when you apply to us, or if you receive a request for missing information after you applied. If you decide to send official scores, these can be sent directly from the ACT or the College Board:

    • College Board test code number: 7775
    • ACT test code number: 5316

    International Baccalaureate (IB): For full IB Diploma students - 36 (HL 6,5,5) to 38 (HL 6,6,6 and SL 6,6,6), with the majority of offers for subjects in the Faculty of Arts and Medicine being at the upper end of this range or higher. Some subjects also require specific HL or SL courses and grades. 

    We also recognise that some high schools offer individual DP courses, as part of an accredited high school diploma. We will be interested in understanding why students have chosen not to pursue the full IB diploma, however we do recognise the strength of HL courses and will consider IB students who have taken three HL courses within the context of an accredited high school diploma.

    Students with a combination of IB HL courses, AP subjects and advanced-level courses will also be considered.

    Medicine: Applicants wishing to study Medicine should refer directly to the medicine course pages for entry requirements.

    This information is for general guidance; we consider each application on its own merits, as outlined in the admissions policy.

    For more information, please contact the Admissions team by emailing admissions@st-andrews.ac.uk.

  • Postgraduate candidates will normally be expected to hold a BA or BS with a grade point average range of:

    • 3.2 or above (based on a 4.0 grade point average GPA scale) - if the UK requirement is an upper second class (2.1) Honours degree.
    • 3.7 or above (based on a 4.0 grade point average GPA scale) - if the UK requirement is a First Class Honours degree.

    For more information please contact the Admissions team by emailing admissions@st-andrews.ac.uk. 

    We do not require the GMAT/GRE.

    The degree of MD (Medicine) requires a medical qualification that is recognised by the UK General Council.

    This information is for general guidance; we consider each application on its own merits, as outlined in the admissions policy.

  • All students entering the University must provide evidence that they can use English well enough to study effectively at St Andrews.

    We accept a wide range of language tests and qualifications as proof of English language proficiency. If you were educated outside the UK or use English as an additional language, you should include information about your English language proficiency with your application.

    Undergraduate English language requirements

    For full information about the language tests and qualifications that the University accepts for undergraduate applicants, please see the English language requirements for undergraduates.

    Postgraduate English language requirements

    For information on the language tests and qualifications which the University accepts for postgraduate students, please see the English language requirements for postgraduates.

    Pre-sessional courses

    In order to fully prepare yourself for academic study, you can attend one of our pre-sessional courses. These combine language development with academic skills and orientation and provide an excellent introduction to university life.

    It may be a condition of your offer that you are required to take a 10-week or 4-week pre-sessional course.

    You can find out more about pre-sessional courses in the pre-sessional courses section.

    Visas and English language proficiency

    Overseas students typically need a visa to study in the UK. See the visa section below to find out more about the English language proficiency tests required to obtain a visa.

  • In order to obtain a visa, UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) requires students to have passed a 'SELT' - a secure English language test. Language proficiency qualifications accepted by the University may not be accepted by UKVI, so you must take an approved SELT in order to obtain your visa. You can find a list of approved SELTs on the St Andrews language requirements page. 

    For further information and guidance on visas, see the visas page.

  • Undergraduate

    Undergraduate applicants to the University of St Andrews are classed as either Home (Scotland and the EU), RUK (rest of the UK) or Overseas for fees purposes. Information regarding fee status can be found on the UKCISA website. UKCISA is the UK's national advisory body serving the interests of students and those who work with them.

    The current tuition fees for undergraduate students, as well as more information about financial assistance, can be found on the undergraduate tuition fees pages. To find out more about the scholarships available to undergraduate students, take a look at the undergraduate scholarships page.

    Postgraduate

    Postgraduate applicants to the University of St Andrews are classed as either Home (EU) or Overseas for fees purposes. Information regarding fee status can be found on the UKCISA website. UKCISA is the UK's national advisory body serving the interests of students and those who work with them.

    The current tuition fees for postgraduate students, as well as information about financial assistance can be found on the postgraduate fees and funding page. For information on postgraduate funding and scholarships, take a look at the postgraduate scholarships page.