UCAS Clearing matches students to university places after results day. It runs from 5 July to 19 October 2026, and roughly 70,000 students use it to secure a university place each year. Some of them missed their offer conditions. Others did better than expected and released themselves voluntarily to try for something more competitive.
Whatever brings you to Clearing, the process is the same: find a course with vacancies, phone the university, get a verbal offer, add the Clearing choice in UCAS Hub. This guide walks through every step, including the part most Clearing guides skip entirely: what to do about accommodation when university halls are already full.
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Who is eligible for UCAS Clearing 2026
| Situation | Eligible? |
| You hold no offers | Yes |
| You did not meet your firm offer conditions | Yes, if the university does not confirm you |
| You met your firm conditions but declined | Yes, after releasing yourself |
| You received better results than expected | Yes, after voluntarily releasing yourself |
| You applied to UCAS after the January 2026 deadline | Yes, from the point of application |
If you already have a confirmed place and have not released yourself, you are not eligible. Releasing yourself means clicking "Decline my place" in UCAS Hub, which removes your current offer permanently. There is no reversal. Only do this if you are genuinely ready to move on.
Key Clearing dates 2026
| Date | What happens |
| 5 July 2026 | Clearing officially opens |
| 4 August 2026 | Scottish SQA results published; Scottish students can begin Clearing |
| 13 August 2026 | A-level results day; UCAS Hub updates from approximately 8:15am |
| 13 August 2026 afternoon | Most Clearing phone lines busiest; vacancies update in real time |
| 19 October 2026 | Clearing closes |
How UCAS Clearing works: the step-by-step process
Step 1: Check your UCAS Hub status
Log into UCAS Hub from around 8:15am on results day and go to "Your Choices." If your firm and insurance universities have not confirmed you, a Clearing number will appear in your application. You need this number for every university you phone.
To understand what each status code means on results day, the full reference is in UCAS Status Codes Explained.
If your status has not updated by mid-morning, do not assume the worst. Hub is under extreme load on results day. Wait until 10am to 11am before calling universities directly about your status.
Step 2: Search Clearing vacancies
Open the UCAS course search tool and filter by Clearing availability. Vacancies update in real time as universities receive calls and fill places.
Prepare before you start calling:
- Your exact grades or points total
- Your UCAS personal ID
- Your Clearing number
- Two or three subject areas you would genuinely be happy studying
- The cities or regions you are willing to live in
Have this information in front of you before you make a single call.
Step 3: Phone the university
Each university publishes a Clearing phone number, usually on their admissions homepage. Call the number specific to your course, not a general enquiries line.
When you get through, give them your Clearing number, your UCAS personal ID, your grades, and the specific course name. The admissions officer will tell you whether they can offer you a place. This may happen in the call or they may ask to call back after reviewing your results.
Do not accept a verbal offer unless you are genuinely willing to attend that university and study that course. Once you add a Clearing choice in Hub and the university confirms it, you have committed.
Step 4: Add the Clearing choice in UCAS Hub
After receiving a verbal offer, log into Hub and click "Add Clearing choice." Enter the university and course code the admissions officer gave you. The university then confirms the place in Hub.
You can only hold one Clearing choice at a time. If the university does not confirm within a reasonable period, contact them before removing the choice to add another.
If you got better results than expected
UCAS discontinued its Adjustment service before the 2026 cycle. If you received significantly better results than predicted and want to try for a higher-ranked course, you now have to voluntarily release yourself into Clearing.
This means clicking "Decline my place" in Hub for your current firm offer. Your existing confirmed place is gone permanently once you do this. The course you want at a more selective university may not have Clearing vacancies. Make sure you have a realistic fallback in mind before you release.
Should you accept the first offer or keep searching?
There is no universal answer. A few principles:
Accept if the course and university genuinely suit you, your results meet the entry requirements comfortably, and vacancies appear to be running low.
Keep searching if you know there are universities you would prefer and you have good reason to think vacancies remain there. Not all popular courses fill in the first hour. Some subjects have available places well into September.
Do not accept under pressure alone. If you feel rushed on the call, it is completely reasonable to say you need 15 minutes to think it over and phone back. Admissions officers are not supposed to pressure applicants into instant decisions.
UCAS Clearing for international students
International students using Clearing face one extra constraint: visa processing time. If you accept a Clearing place in mid or late August, you need to apply for your UK Student Visa almost immediately after receiving your CAS from the university.
Processing takes approximately three weeks from most countries, though this varies. Some universities have enrolment cutoffs in mid-September for courses starting in late September. Check the university's latest arrival date for international students before accepting any offer. If you accept a Clearing place in October, this timeline may not be achievable.
More on the visa process and timing for international applicants: UCAS for International Students.
Accommodation after Clearing: the problem most guides miss
University halls of residence for 2026 entry opened for applications in spring 2026, shortly after the May offer deadline. By August, most halls are full. Students who come through Clearing in August are, in most cases, not going to get university-managed accommodation.
This is not a reason to avoid Clearing. It is a reason to think about housing before results day, not after.
Purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) in most major UK university cities stays available into September and sometimes later. If you are going into Clearing with a shortlist of two or three universities, search what PBSA options exist near each of them before results day. That way, if you accept a Clearing place on 13 August, you are not figuring out housing from scratch while also trying to confirm a university place.
Browse verified student accommodation near UK universities at Acolyte Living. All properties are listed with verified ownership and physical inspection records, which matters particularly if you are booking remotely under time pressure.
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FAQs
What is UCAS Clearing?
UCAS Clearing is the system that matches students without a confirmed university place to courses with remaining vacancies. It runs from 5 July to 19 October 2026 and is managed through UCAS Hub.
When does UCAS Clearing open in 2026?
Clearing officially opens on 5 July 2026. The main activity happens after A-level results on 13 August 2026, when UCAS Hub updates from approximately 8:15am.
How do I know if I am in Clearing?
Log into UCAS Hub on results day. If you have no confirmed place, a Clearing number will appear in your application status section.
Can I be in Clearing with good grades?
Yes. Students who received better results than predicted can voluntarily release themselves into Clearing to try for a higher-ranked course.
Do I need my Clearing number to phone universities?
Yes. Your Clearing number and personal UCAS ID are both required when contacting universities about a Clearing place.
Can I add more than one Clearing choice at once?
No. You can only hold one Clearing choice at a time. If a university does not confirm your choice, you can remove it and add another.
What happens to accommodation if I get in through Clearing?
University halls are usually full by August results day. Purpose-built student accommodation tends to have availability for longer. Research options before results day.
Is Clearing the same as applying late?
Largely yes, for applications submitted after 30 June 2026. Students who applied before the January deadline but received no offers should use UCAS Extra first (open February to July), then Clearing.
Can international students use Clearing?
Yes, but visa processing time is an additional constraint. Accept a Clearing offer as early in the window as possible to leave enough time for visa processing before the university's enrolment deadline.