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IB Mathematics & Physics · Italy

IB Requirements for Economics: UK Universities and Bocconi (2027 Entry)

Q: What IB score do you need for economics at LSE?

39 points with 766 at Higher Level and a 7 in Mathematics. For BSc Economics the TMUA is mandatory and LSE prefers AA but considers both courses; its Mathematics and Economics and Economics and Data Science degrees require the 7 in AA.

Q: Can I study economics with IB Math AI?

At most of the universities checked. UCL, Warwick, Imperial and Oxford's Economics and Management accept AI at HL; LSE's BSc Economics considers it; Cambridge and LSE's two most mathematical degrees ask for AA.

Q: What IB score does Bocconi require?

None for selection. Bocconi ranks applicants on a test and the grades of the two years before the last; to enrol, the full Diploma with at least 24 points, 12 at Higher Level, is needed.

Q: Does Bocconi use IB predicted grades?

No. Bocconi does not use predicted grades or final-year grades; it uses the grades of the third-last and second-last years.

2 min readBy Renzo DiazLast reviewed October 7, 2026

For economics, Mathematics is the subject that matters, and of the four subjects in this series it is where Applications and Interpretation (AI) is most often accepted with no stated preference. Of nine UK economics programmes that require Mathematics, 4 accept AA or AI with no preference, 1 prefers AA, 3 require or ask for Analysis and Approaches (AA) and 1 names no course. Cambridge asks for 41–42 points with 776 at HL and AA; LSE asks for 39 with 766 and a 7 in Mathematics; UCL, Warwick and Oxford's Economics and Management accept AI at HL. Most set the TMUA. Bocconi, in Milan, sets no IB subject at all and selects on a test and school grades.

This page gathers what ten UK economics programmes and Bocconi ask of an IB Diploma student entering in 2027, from each university's own pages. Economics is where UK universities most often accept either Mathematics course without preference, and the TMUA appears on seven of the ten programmes, required, recommended or optional.

Each row is a starting point. Read the page of your own programme and year before choosing subjects.

For economics, the choice of Mathematics course closes fewer doors than in engineering, physics or computer science.

Key takeaways

AI is accepted widely: UCL, Warwick, Oxford and Imperial accept AI HL for economics; LSE's BSc Economics considers both.
AA is required for the most mathematical degrees: Cambridge Economics and LSE's Mathematics and Economics and Economics and Data Science.
The TMUA is the economics test: Cambridge, UCL, Imperial and LSE Economics require it; Warwick makes it optional; Oxford uses the TARA.
Bocconi counts no IB grade at entry: a test (55%) and the grades of the two years before the last (45%).

Ten UK economics programmes, side by side

The IB requirement, the Mathematics condition, the A-level offer for comparison, and the admissions test of each programme, as the course page states them for 2027 entry. Oxford's PPE is included because many economics applicants consider it; it recommends Mathematics rather than requiring it.

IB and A-level requirements of ten UK economics programmes, 2027 entry
University	Programme	IB requirement	Mathematics	A-level offer	Test
Cambridge	Economics	41–42 points, 776 at HL; most IB entrants had at least 44	AA asked for, at HL	AAA, with Maths; Further Maths at six Colleges	TMUA
Oxford	Economics and Management	39 with core, 766 at HL	6 or 7 at HL; AA or AI	A*AA, Maths at A or above	TARA and interview
Oxford	Philosophy, Politics and Economics	39 with core, 766 at HL	Recommended; AA or AI	AAA	TARA and interview
Imperial	Economics, Finance and Data Science	Minimum 39, with 6 and 6 in two other HL subjects	7 at HL; AA or AI, no preference	AAA, A in Maths	TMUA and interview
UCL	Economics	39; 19 at HL, none below 5	7 at HL; AA or AI	AAA, A in Maths	TMUA
LSE	Economics	39, 766 at HL	7; AA preferred, both considered	AAA, A in Maths	TMUA, mandatory
LSE	Mathematics and Economics	39, 766 at HL	7 in AA	AAA, A in Maths; Further Maths expected	TMUA recommended
LSE	Economics and Data Science	39, 766 at HL	7 in AA	AAA, A in Maths	TMUA recommended
Warwick	Economics	38	6 at HL; AA or AI	A*AA, A in Maths	TMUA optional
Edinburgh	Economics	Recent offers 40 (766) to 37 (666)	5 at HL or 6 at SL; course not named	AAA* to A*AA	None

Sources: each university's course page for 2027 entry, read 7 October 2026 (Oxford's AA/AI rule from its international qualifications page; LSE Economics' AA preference from LSE's entry requirements page). Imperial's page words its rule "for entry in 2025". Edinburgh publishes the range of recent offers. Contextual offers are left out.

What the UK offers have in common

Mathematics is the one subject every economics programme names, Oxford's PPE apart, and nearly always at Higher Level: only Edinburgh takes a 6 at Standard Level. The grade is usually a 6 or a 7, and LSE, UCL and Imperial ask for the 7.

The Mathematics course matters less than elsewhere. UCL, Warwick, Imperial and Oxford's Economics and Management accept AI with no preference; LSE's BSc Economics prefers AA but considers both. AA is required where the degree is most mathematical: Cambridge Economics, and LSE's Mathematics and Economics and Economics and Data Science.

The admissions test is where economics stands apart. The TMUA is required at Cambridge, UCL, Imperial and LSE Economics, recommended for LSE's two other programmes and optional at Warwick, where top scorers may receive a reduced A-level offer. Oxford sets the TARA for Economics and Management and for PPE. What the TMUA covers beyond the IB is in TMUA for IB students.

Minimum and typical

Cambridge reports the gap

Cambridge's minimum offer for Economics is 41–42 points, but it reports that most of its IB entrants achieved at least 44.

Bocconi: a different kind of selection

Bocconi, in Milan, does not use the IB score or predicted grades to select. It ranks applicants on two things: a test, which counts for 55%, and the average of the school grades from the third-last and second-last years of school, which counts for 45%. For most IB students, those are the year before the Diploma and its first year. Theory of Knowledge, the extended essay and CAS are left out of the average, and no subject is required; the page lists both IB Mathematics courses, at either level, among subjects it does not require.

The IB matters at the end. To enrol, a student needs the full Diploma with at least 24 points, 12 of them at Higher Level, from the May session.

Bocconi for 2027–28 entry

Selection: 55 / 45; Test score and school grades of the two years before the last.
Tests accepted: 3; Bocconi's online test (50 questions, 24 of them Mathematics), the SAT or the ACT.
Early session: 2–29 Sep 2026; Results in mid-November 2026.
Winter session: 25 Nov 2026 – 26 Jan 2027; Results in mid-March 2027.

English-taught Bocconi bachelors in economics, finance and management, and their places for 2027–28
Programme	Places
Economics	115
Finance	460
Management	690
Management and Computer Science	230

Source: Bocconi's admissions page for 2027–28, read 7 October 2026. IB students at international schools in Italy apply as international applicants.

How to plan the IB for economics

Three decisions, in order

Take Mathematics at Higher Level
Every UK programme here except Edinburgh, and Oxford's PPE, asks for it at HL, usually with a 6 or a 7.
Choose AA if Cambridge or LSE's mathematical degrees are on the list
With AI HL, UCL, Warwick, Imperial, Oxford and LSE's BSc Economics remain open.
Prepare for the TMUA, or the TARA for Oxford
The test is part of the offer at most of these universities, and it is sat in the final year alongside the IB.

Terms used in this article

AA and AI: The two IB Mathematics courses: Analysis and Approaches, built around algebra, calculus and proof, and Applications and Interpretation, built around modelling and statistics.
766 at HL: Grades of 7, 6 and 6 in the three Higher Level subjects.
TMUA: The Test of Mathematics for University Admission: two papers of 20 multiple-choice questions, without a calculator.
TARA: The Test of Academic Reasoning for Admissions, which Oxford sets for Economics and Management and for PPE.
Contextual offer: A lower offer some UK universities make to applicants who meet set criteria about their school or background, usually UK residents.

Questions about IB requirements for economics

What IB score do you need for economics at LSE?

39 points with 766 at Higher Level and a 7 in Mathematics. For BSc Economics the TMUA is mandatory and LSE prefers AA but considers both courses; its Mathematics and Economics and Economics and Data Science degrees require the 7 in AA.

Can I study economics with IB Math AI?

At most of the universities checked. UCL, Warwick, Imperial and Oxford's Economics and Management accept AI at HL; LSE's BSc Economics considers it; Cambridge and LSE's two most mathematical degrees ask for AA.

Is the TMUA required for economics?

At Cambridge, UCL, Imperial and for LSE's BSc Economics, yes. It is recommended for LSE's other two programmes, optional at Warwick, and Oxford uses the TARA instead.

What IB score does Bocconi require?

None for selection. Bocconi ranks applicants on a test and the grades of the two years before the last; to enrol, the full Diploma with at least 24 points, 12 at Higher Level, is needed.

Does Bocconi use IB predicted grades?

No. Bocconi does not use predicted grades or final-year grades; it uses the grades of the third-last and second-last years.

Written by

Renzo Diaz

Teaching IB since 2016. Seven years of IB reviews you can check on Google — and named results with the documents behind them.

Last reviewed October 7, 2026

Sources

Every requirement comes from the university's own course or admissions page, read on 7 October 2026 for entry in 2027. Check the page for your programme and year before relying on it.

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