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    UK Universities November Intake 2026: Deadlines, Courses & Application Guide

    By Lightning Enrolment Editorial TeamPublished Updated 11 min read

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    UK Universities November Intake 2026: Deadlines You Cannot Miss

    The November intake (sometimes called the *autumn* or *late intake*) is the UK's smallest but fastest-moving admissions window. It exists mainly for postgraduate courses, top-up degrees and pathway providers who need to fill seats missed in September. If you did not apply in time for September 2026, November is often the next realistic start date before waiting for January 2027.

    This guide covers which UK universities and pathway providers run a November 2026 intake, the exact application and CAS deadlines, entry requirements and the visa timeline you need to hit.

    Who Actually Runs a November 2026 Intake?

    Most Russell Group universities do not offer a November intake. It is dominated by:

  1. Modern (post-92) universities with rolling admissions
  2. Private higher-education providers (GBS, LSC, Regent College, Arden, etc.)
  3. Pathway providers running Foundation, International Year One and pre-Master's programmes (Kaplan, INTO, Study Group, Navitas, Oncampus)
  4. Top-up degree providers finishing 1-year Bachelor's completions

    5. UK Universities & Providers With a November 2026 Intake

    University / ProviderLevelApplication DeadlineCourse Start

    |---|---|---|---|

    University of BoltonUG top-up / PG15 October 2026Early NovemberBPP UniversityPG (Law, Business)20 October 20269 NovemberArden UniversityUG / PG (blended)25 October 20262 NovemberGlobal Banking School (GBS)HND / Top-up / MBA15 October 20263 NovemberLondon School of Commerce (LSC)Top-up / MBA20 October 20269 NovemberRegent College LondonHND / MBA20 October 20269 NovemberUniversity of West LondonPG (select)10 October 20263 NovemberUniversity of ChichesterPG (select)15 October 20269 NovemberUlster University London / BirminghamPG (Business, Computing)10 October 20263 NovemberKaplan Pathways (Nottingham, Liverpool)Pre-Master's / IYOne10 October 2026NovemberINTO Newcastle / Manchester / QUBFoundation / Pre-Master's15 October 2026November

    *Deadlines are visa-safe cut-offs — many providers keep applying open later but cannot guarantee a CAS in time for visa processing.*

    Courses Most Commonly Available in November

  5. Business & Management (MBA, MSc International Business, MSc Marketing)
  6. Computing & Data (MSc Data Science, MSc Cyber Security, MSc AI)
  7. Law (LLM, GDL, LPC, SQE preparation)
  8. Health & Social Care (MSc Public Health, MSc Nursing top-up)
  9. Accounting & Finance (MSc Finance, MSc Accounting)
  10. Top-Up Bachelor's (BA/BSc Business, Computing, Health & Social Care)
  11. Foundation Year and Pre-Master's at pathway centres

    12. STEM Masters at research-intensive universities (Oxbridge, Imperial, UCL, Manchester, Edinburgh) almost never open in November — they follow the September intake only.

    The Non-Negotiable Timeline

    To start in November 2026 you have to work backwards from the course start date. A safe timeline looks like this:

    StepLatest Date

    |---|---|

    Submit applicationEarly - mid October 2026Receive conditional offerWithin 2 weeksMeet all conditions (IELTS, transcripts, deposit)Late October 2026Receive unconditional offer + CASLate October / early NovemberShow 28-day funds in bankMust close 28 days before visa submissionSubmit UK Student Visa onlineImmediately after CASBiometrics + priority visa (5 working days)Within 1 week of submissionArrive in UKBefore course start

    Miss the funds window and you will not start in November — the 28-day maintenance rule is the single biggest reason students defer to January.

    Entry Requirements (Typical November Intake)

  12. Undergraduate top-up: HND / Level 5 diploma with 60%+, IELTS 6.0 (no band < 5.5)
  13. Master's: 2:2 Bachelor's or equivalent (55-60% CGPA), IELTS 6.5 (no band < 6.0)
  14. MBA: Bachelor's + 1-3 years work experience for most private providers
  15. Foundation / Pre-Master's: IELTS 5.5-6.0, high-school certificate

    16. Most November-intake providers accept MOI (Medium of Instruction) letters from English-medium schools instead of IELTS. Always confirm with admissions before skipping the test.

    Tuition Fees for November 2026

  16. Private providers (GBS, LSC, Regent): £6,000 - £8,500 per year (undergraduate), £7,000 - £9,500 (Master's/MBA)
  17. Public universities: £14,000 - £18,000 per year (Master's)
  18. Pathway providers: £15,000 - £22,000 (Foundation), £17,000 - £24,000 (Pre-Master's)

    19. Deposits are usually £3,000 - £5,000 and must clear before CAS is issued.

    Why Choose the November Intake?

  19. Faster than waiting for January — you save 2-3 months
  20. Lower competition than September for the same course
  21. Full-year funding — Student Finance England covers November starts for eligible top-up applicants
  22. Live in the UK during autumn — better time to find part-time work before winter

    23. When November Is the Wrong Choice

  23. You need a scholarship — most close in April-June for the following September
  24. You want a research Master's or PhD — supervisors align to September
  25. You need to prep for IELTS — cutting it fine risks losing the intake
  26. Your funds cannot complete the 28-day rule in time

    27. Related Reading

  27. Chances of getting into UK November intake 2026
  28. November vs January intake UK 2026
  29. UCAS Clearing 2026 for international students
  30. UK universities accepting late applications 2026
  31. UK student visa financial requirements 2026
  32. CAS letter explained

    33. *Sources: UCAS Postgraduate & Undergraduate Search, UKVI Student Route caseworker guidance, individual university and pathway provider admissions pages (verified October 2026).*

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