Cardiff University
Cardiff University was founded in 1883 and teaches on the Cathays Park site in the Welsh capital. It is the only Welsh member of the Russell Group; journalism, medicine, architecture and engineering are among its best known fields.
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One record matters more than any ranking when reading a university page: the Home Office register of student sponsors, which is what permits an institution to issue the CAS a student visa requires. Cardiff University appears on it, and on the register that carries degree-awarding powers; this page sets out the institution’s subjects, entry requirements, fee arrangements and application steps.
01
What kind of university is Cardiff?
Cardiff University was founded in 1883 and teaches on the Cathays Park site in Cardiff, the capital of Wales. It is the only Welsh member of the Russell Group, a structural feature that places the institution in a particular position within the nation.
The institution works across two main sites: Cathays Park is the academic centre and sits inside the city's civic quarter, while Heath Park holds the medical and health science units and adjoins the hospital complex. The distance between them is covered quickly by bus.
Degree-awarding powers sit with the regulator of the nation the institution is in; the authority to issue the CAS a student visa requires sits on the Home Office register of licensed sponsors, which is a single UK-wide list.
02
Which subjects stand out at Cardiff?
Journalism and media studies are among the best known fields here. Alongside them medicine, dentistry, architecture, engineering, law, psychology and business carry long course lists; the health science programmes run with the city's teaching hospitals.
- Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences: journalism, law, politics, English literature, architecture.
- Biomedical and Life Sciences: medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, psychology, optometry.
- Science and Engineering: engineering, computer science, physics, chemistry, earth sciences.
- Cardiff Business School: business, economics, accounting, logistics.
The journalism school has been recognised in its field across England and Wales over a long period and runs its programmes alongside the industry. The school of architecture is the only higher education unit of its kind in Wales.
03
What are the entry requirements at Cardiff?
The institution considers applicants from schools on its approved list for direct undergraduate entry with the Lise Diplomasi. For postgraduate study it publishes 2.6 out of 4, or 70 per cent, as the 2:1 equivalent.
| Level | Published threshold |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate — from a listed school | Considered for direct entry with the Lise Diplomasi |
| Postgraduate — first class equivalent | Turkish bachelor's degree, 3.0 out of 4 or 80 per cent |
| Postgraduate — 2:1 equivalent | Turkish bachelor's degree, 2.6 out of 4 or 70 per cent |
| Postgraduate — 2:2 equivalent | Turkish bachelor's degree, 2.5 out of 4 or 60 per cent |
The English language requirement is published separately on the course page. For applicants from schools not on that list the route is an accepted qualification such as A-level, or one of the foundation programmes.
04
What are tuition fees at Cardiff?
The international fee varies by course and each course publishes the figure on its own page. The institution runs scholarships at undergraduate and postgraduate level; conditions and deadlines are listed on its funding pages by year of entry and by course.
Alongside tuition, living cost is the second large item. The maintenance funds a student visa asks you to show are set by region and come to £1,171 a month here; in London the same line is £1,529.
Postgraduate scholarships also run at department level and their deadlines close before the course's own. The UK scholarships page sets out the arrangement in general terms.
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05
What is the campus and student life like in Cardiff?
The Cathays Park site sits just north of the city centre, sharing a civic square with the National Museum and government buildings. The area is walked end to end; the health science units sit at the Heath Park site to the west of the city.
Cathays Park shares its square with the National Museum and the city council building; the area is the administrative centre of Wales. Bute Park and the covered arcades of the city centre are within walking distance of the site.
Accommodation is mostly in university halls in the first year; later on students move into rented housing around Cathays and Roath. London is reached in about two hours by train.
06
How do you apply to Cardiff?
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS; the deadline for 2027 entry is 13 January 2027, moving to 15 October 2026 for medicine and dentistry. Postgraduate applications are sent directly to the course through the institution's own portal.
- Choose the course and read its own entry requirements section.
- Send the UCAS application by 13 January 2027 for undergraduate entry, and by 15 October 2026 for medicine and dentistry.
- For postgraduate study apply through the institution’s own portal, uploading transcripts and references.
- If an offer is made, meet the academic and English language conditions.
- Once the conditions are met a CAS is issued and the student visa application follows.
British Global supplies information at this stage and, where it is wanted, introduces a firm whose authorisation has been verified on a register; assessing a visa application belongs to an IAA-registered or SRA-authorised adviser.
07
Frequently asked questions
Can you apply to Cardiff with a Turkish high school diploma?
The institution considers applicants from schools on its approved list for direct undergraduate entry with the Lise Diplomasi. Applicants from other schools are asked for A-levels, the IB or a foundation year.
What grade is published for postgraduate entry?
The institution publishes 3.0 out of 4 or 80 per cent as the first class equivalent, 2.6 or 70 per cent as the 2:1, and 2.5 or 60 per cent as the 2:2. Departments ask above that.
Is studying in Wales different from England?
Undergraduate degrees run over three years as in England and the student visa arrangement is the same across the UK. The difference is administrative: higher education is regulated under the Welsh framework.
How many campuses are there?
The institution works across two main sites. Cathays Park is the academic centre inside the city's civic quarter; Heath Park holds the medical and health science units and adjoins the hospital complex.
Sources
- Cardiff University — Turkey entry requirements — Thresholds published for Turkish qualifications: direct undergraduate entry from a listed school, and 3.0 (80%), 2.6 (70%) and 2.5 (60%) at postgraduate level — checked 25 August 2026
- Cardiff University — Admissions criteria — Postgraduate admission criteria and degree class equivalents — checked 25 August 2026
- UCAS — The 2027 entry timetable, the five-choice limit and the 13 January 2027 equal consideration date — checked 25 August 2026
- GOV.UK — Student visa — Student visa fee, healthcare surcharge and the maintenance funds to be shown — checked 25 August 2026
