A student looking down at the camera while using their smartphone, which they are holding horizontally. The student is wearing a pale yellow hoodie, and stood in a corridor which is well-lit by several fluorescent lighting strips.

How Clearing works

Whether you're a UK or International student, or someone supporting an applicant through Clearing, you'll find all the information you need to understand how Clearing works and complete the key steps of the process on this page.

Clearing 2025 at Southampton is now open. If you have your results, you can apply for one of our undergraduate courses in Clearing now.

What is Clearing at university?

Clearing is an opportunity for you to secure a university place, particularly if you:

  • are applying for university after Monday 30 June 2025
  • have changed your mind about what or where you want to study, and are rethinking your choices
  • are not already holding an offer from a UK university
  • have results which are different to what you expected – either because didn't meet the conditions of your offer, or you did better than you expected

Clearing Quick 5

Watch our short video for advice, tips and guidance on Clearing and the process ahead of you. (4 minutes 16 seconds)

 

You can also learn more about the Clearing process on the UCAS website.

Who can apply

You can apply for one of our undergraduate courses in Clearing if:

  • you have your results and, if applicable, your English language test results
  • you've not yet applied to any universities in this cycle
  • you've achieved higher grades than expected
  • your results are not as good as predicted for your original firm and insurance choice universities, and you've been rejected by both choices
  • you may have changed your mind about your subject or university

We can't make any conditional offers in Clearing so if you don’t have all your results, you’ll need to wait until they're available.

When Clearing opens

Clearing at the University of Southampton is now open. If you have your results, you can apply for one of our undergraduate courses in Clearing now.

How to apply through Clearing

  1. Explore our list of courses in Clearing.
  2. Complete our short application form.
  3. If we make you an offer, add the University of Southampton as your Clearing choice in your UCAS Hub.
  4. If you want to stay in University accommodation, apply for accommodation once you've received your offer.

Once we receive your UCAS application, we will process it and verify your qualifications. If we can make you an offer, we'll send you a formal offer letter which will include your Southampton ID number.

We do not operate waiting lists for any of our courses. Course availability and entry requirements are subject to change.

How to contact us

Our Clearing hotline has now closed, but if you have any queries about Clearing, you can contact our admissions team by:

Phone lines are open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, UK time.

If you're an offer holder and you need to request a change or update to your application, you can complete our short form.

Your next steps