University of Leeds（利兹大学）entry requirements for Chinese students (2027) — minimum average mark, university list tiers and programme extras
Leeds does not use a single pass mark for applicants from China. It publishes a country-specific list of around 1,315 Chinese institutions, sorts them into Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3, and then sets a different weighted-average percentage for each tier. For most schools a 2:1 equivalent means 75% from a Tier 1 institution, 80% from Tier 2 and 85% from Tier 3. Your own university's row on that list decides which number you are aiming at.
Here is how the tiers and percentages work, and what the published material does not settle.
How the tier system determines your percentage
Each school sets its own requirements, and they differ more than most applicants expect. The table below reproduces the published 2027 figures.
| Schools | Accepted tiers | Percentage required |
|---|---|---|
| School of Computer Science | Tier 1 and Tier 2 | 75% from Tier 1, 80% from Tier 2 |
| School of Media and Communication; Leeds University Business School; Faculty of Social Sciences (Politics and International Studies, Sociology and Social Policy, Education, Law) | Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3 | 70% from Tier 1, 75% from Tier 2, 80% from Tier 3 |
| All other schools | Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3 | 2:1 equivalent: 75% / 80% / 85%. 2:2 equivalent: 70% / 75% / 80% (Tier 1 / 2 / 3) |
| School of Chemistry — MSc Chemistry; MSc Energy and Environment | Tier 1, 2, 3 | 2:2 equivalent: 70% / 75% / 80% |
| School of Food Science and Nutrition | Tier 1, 2, 3 | 2:2 equivalent: 65% / 70% / 75% |
| School of Dentistry | All tiers and universities accepted | 2:1 programmes: 75% / 80% / 85%. 2:2 programmes: 70% / 75% / 80% |
| Faculty of Biological Sciences | All universities accepted | 2:1 programmes: 75% / 80% / 85%; 2:2 programmes at lower thresholds |
Two things stand out. Computer Science will not consider Tier 3 institutions, so if yours sits in Tier 3, that route is closed before marks come into it. Dentistry and Biological Sciences accept all universities, but the percentages attached to each tier stay the same. Food Science and Nutrition is the most forgiving on paper, starting at 65% for a 2:2 equivalent from a Tier 1 institution.
Note that the Computer Science threshold is stated differently in the source — as Tier 1 and Tier 2 with 75% and 80% — rather than being expressed as a 2:1 equivalent. Confirm the exact wording on the school's own course pages, which take precedence.
How to find your own university on the list
The China list is published as a long table with the Chinese name, the English name, a note column (for example 211, 985/Double 1st Class, Art, Independent College) and a tier. Find your university by Chinese name, then read the tier in the final column. The note column explains what kind of institution it is, not which tier it falls into — a211 university and a non-211 university can both be Tier 1, and an independent college can be Tier 2.
The list is long enough that the version reproduced here is truncated. Check the university's own pages, which take precedence, for the full current list before you rely on a tier assignment.
Programme-level extras that sit on top of the percentage
The tier percentage is the academic floor, not the whole application. Several published rows add English requirements — Leeds University Business School courses such as MSc International Business and MSc Accounting and Finance list IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in any component. School of Food Science and Nutrition lists the same band.
For other schools the source says only to visit the course listing for details, so treat any English score outside those stated rows as unconfirmed.
The published material does not give a single blanket statement about GMAT, portfolio or interview requirements across the university. Whether a specific programme asks for one, and at what score, varies by course — check the university's own pages, which take precedence.
Study modes
The requirements above are set against taught postgraduate coursework. The source does not state whether distance learning or part-time entry follows the same tier logic, so if you intend to apply in a non-full-time mode, check the university's own pages, which take precedence.
How to verify each figure
Three steps put you in a position to check anything above.
- Open the China entry requirements page on the university's official site.
- Find your school or faculty in the table of accepted tiers and percentages.
- Find your university in the Chinese institution list and note the tier.
Then open the individual course page on the course catalogue, which carries the English requirement and any programme-specific extras for that one programme.
Where this article and the university's pages disagree, the university's pages take precedence — requirements change between intakes, and the school you are applying to sets its own.