01The headline numbers

Durham's LNAT page explicitly states "the multiple-choice part of the test is marked out of 42 and this, as well as your essay, are made available to the universities you apply to help in the selection process." So Durham reads BOTH the MCQ and essay (unlike LSE). Durham releases offer-holder LNAT averages but does not publish per-applicant data. The most recent four cycles for which figures are public: 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22, 2022/23 [Durham FOI 23-24].

Three numbers worth fixing in your head:

02Why Durham uses M101, not M100

Durham is the only LNAT-using university whose Law course carries the UCAS code M101 rather than M100. The code confuses applicants every cycle. The content is the same kind of three-year LLB you'd get at any M100 university; only the code differs.

Why does this matter?

Three practical implications:

• UCAS form. When you list Durham Law on UCAS, you enter M101 (not M100). Some applicants type M100 by habit and select the wrong course; this is a real mistake that requires correction.
• FOI data. Most KCL, UCL, Oxford, Bristol FOI requests reference M100. Durham's responses always reference M101. Cross-referencing data across universities requires recognising this mapping.
• Course content. Durham's M101 has the same Qualifying Law Degree status as M100 elsewhere — it's a 3-year LLB. The code difference is administrative, not academic.

If you're applying to Durham and any combination of Oxford/UCL/KCL/LSE/Bristol, expect to see both M100 and M101 across your UCAS choices. Both are the same kind of programme.

03The 2020/21 funnel in detail

Durham's 2020/21 cycle is the most thoroughly disclosed: applications, offers, breakdowns by domicile and contextual status, GCSE/A-Level/IB averages for both applicants and offer holders, and the full LNAT min/avg/max [Durham FOI 2021 cycle].

The contextual offer split

2020/21 saw 1,025 total offers, broken down as:

• UK home students: 460 offers
• UK home, contextual offer ("GCO"): 295 offers
• UK home, non-contextual: 165 offers
• International: 560 offers

Two patterns stand out:

• The international share is large. 560 of 1,025 offers (55%) went to international applicants — one of the highest international shares among LNAT universities.
• Most UK offers are contextual. 295 of 460 UK offers (64%) were Generalised Contextual Offers, so most home offer holders qualified for some contextual reduction. Durham's contextual offer programme is unusually broad.

044-cycle MCQ trend

Across the four cycles for which Durham has released LNAT data, the offer-holder MCQ average has crept up: 24.7 (2019/20) → 24 (2020/21) → 24 (2021/22) → 26 (2022/23). The applicant pool average has tracked similarly: 23 → 21.8 → 23.9. The 2-mark gap between applicant and offer-holder pools is consistent.

The 2-mark separation

Durham's offer-holder MCQ averages typically sit 2-3 points above the applicant pool — a smaller gap than at Oxford (5+ points) or UCL (3-4 points). That matches Durham's stated holistic approach: the LNAT separates similar applications but doesn't dominate the decision the way it does where there's a hard MCQ floor.

Why the recent jump to 26?

The 2022/23 lift is a real 2-mark increase from the previous cycle. Three possible explanations:

• Stronger applicant pool (the applicant-pool average also rose, from 21.8 to 23.9).
• Durham raising its effective LNAT bar with the wider market.
• Changes in test difficulty across the consortium.

The applicant-pool growth from 21.8 to 23.9 (2.1 marks) almost exactly mirrors the offer-holder lift (24 to 26 = 2.0). The bar probably didn't tighten — the field improved.

05The unmarked but read essay

Durham's position on the LNAT essay is distinctive: it isn't scored on any scale, but selectors read it and use it to spot "strengths and weaknesses of a candidate." Middle ground between Oxford (formally graded) and KCL (ignored entirely) [Durham M101 admissions policy].

What this means in practice

• The essay is read. Unlike at KCL, Durham selectors open the essay file and use it as evidence on reasoning, expression, and engagement.
• It can rescue a lower MCQ. A clear, well-written essay can carry an applicant whose MCQ is borderline.
• It can drag down a strong MCQ. An off-topic or poorly argued essay can sink a competitive MCQ. The essay cuts in both directions.

What "good" looks like to Durham

Three criteria they cite:

• Good command of English — clean writing, error-free prose.
• Clear, persuasive argument — takes a position and defends it.
• Answers the question — engages with what was asked, doesn't drift.

A looser rubric than Oxford's "high-mark features" or UCL's three-quality framework. Durham doesn't reward independent critical judgment the way Oxford does; they want competent, on-topic, well-written argument.

06GCSEs, A-Levels, and IB at Durham

Durham releases applicant vs offer-holder GCSE, A-Level, and IB data for the 2020/21 cycle in unusual detail. The pattern: offer holders out-score applicants by about 0.7 A* GCSEs and 0.2 predicted A* A-Levels [Durham FOI 2021 cycle].

Reading the gaps

• GCSE moves the margin, not the centre. Offer holders average 5.8 A*s vs 5.1 in the applicant pool — a 0.7 gap. Durham doesn't filter heavily on GCSE counts.
• Predicted A-Levels are tighter. Offer holders are predicted 1.69 A*s; applicants 1.46. Most of both pools are predicted at least one A* with two As (or A*A*A).
• IB applicants are strong. Both applicant and offer-holder average IB totals run over 41/45. The IB pool self-selects.

The standard offer

Durham's published M101 offer is typically A*AA at A-Level (with A* in an essay subject preferred but not required). The 2020/21 entrant average tariff was 180 UCAS points — equivalent to A*A*A or A*AA. Most entrants come in with predicted A*A*A or higher.

For IB applicants, the typical offer is 38-40 points overall with 666 at Higher Level. Predictions of 41+ are competitive; achieved scores of 41+ are at the offer-holder level.

07International applicants

Durham takes a high share of international students compared with most LNAT universities. The overseas offer rate has run at 55-70% across the published cycles [Durham FOI international 2015-2018].

The pattern

• Volume held steady. 600-800 overseas applications per cycle from 2015-2018.
• Offer rate is unusually high. 55-70% of overseas applicants got offers, well above UCL or KCL international offer rates in the same years.
• 2020/21 confirms it. 560 of 1,025 offers (55%) went to international applicants [Durham FOI 2021 cycle].

Two structural factors drive the rate:

• International fees are higher than home and revenue per student is high. Durham expanded its international intake heavily over the 2010s.
• International applicants self-select — fewer apply, and those who do tend to be committed.

The high overseas offer rate doesn't mean Durham is "easy" for international applicants. It means they face less filtering at the offer stage than at UCL or Oxford. Durham applies the same MCQ standards but issues more offers per overseas application.

Nationalities of recent international students

Durham's 2015-2018 international cohorts came from approximately 40 countries (FOI 469 lists nationalities by year). Top sources include China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, India, the United States, Canada, Germany, France, and Italy.

08The 16-college system

Durham has 16 residential colleges (plus a few international study halls). Unlike Oxford and Cambridge, Durham's colleges are NOT academic admitting bodies — Durham Law School admits centrally, and college allocation happens after offers are made. Colleges shape your residential and pastoral experience, not your academic placement [Durham FOI international colleges 2012/13].

Why the colleges aren't academic

At Oxford and Cambridge, you apply to a specific college, the college shortlists and interviews you, and the college decides whether to make you an offer. At Durham, the central admissions team decides offers; the college just gives you a residential cohort.

That said, the FOI data breaks down international applicants and entrants by college, so some loose preference-matching happens at allocation. The 2012-2013 international intake by college:

Why these numbers matter (or don't)

For LNAT-prep purposes, your college choice doesn't change your LNAT bar at Durham. The LNAT is read centrally; your offer chances aren't influenced by which college you select. Choose based on:

• Location within Durham (Bailey colleges are in the historic centre; hill colleges are 1-2km out).
• Atmosphere (some colleges are more sporty, others more arts-focussed).
• Catering arrangement (catered vs self-catered).
• Cost and accommodation type.

None of these matter for whether your application succeeds.

09The Access HE Diploma route

Durham accepts applicants whose latest qualification is an Access to Higher Education Diploma (a non-traditional route for mature applicants). The numbers are small but Durham has released the LNAT, age, and GCSE distributions for these applicants [Durham FOI Access HE].

Aggregate Access HE offer-holder profile (2019/20–2021/22)

• LNAT: Min 19, Max 30, Average 23.4.
• Age: Youngest 19, oldest 34, average 26.
• GCSE count (A*-C / 9-4): Min 2, max 14, average 6.

• Very few annual offers. 0-5 per year. Durham admits a small Access HE cohort each cycle.
• The LNAT bar is lower. 23.4 across this group, below the standard offer-holder average (25-26 over the same period).
• Age matters. Average age 26 — mature applicants, often returning after a gap.

For Access HE Diploma applicants, Durham is one of the few LNAT universities with a real route. The LNAT still counts, but age, prior life experience, and motivation carry real weight.

10Durham's holistic approach

Durham Law School's published admissions philosophy is unusually clear about the LNAT's role and the criteria selectors weight. Worth reading in full — Durham is more transparent than Oxford or UCL about how it decides [Durham M101 admissions policy].

What Durham looks for ("merit and potential")

Durham's published list of factors selectors use:

1. Prior and predicted exam performance
2. Personal statement
3. Reference
4. Development of study skills (incl. EPQ)
5. Motivation for the degree programme
6. Independence of thought and working
7. Skills derived from non-academic extra-curricular activity
8. Contextual evidence of merit and potential

How the LNAT fits

Durham's framing — "a key differentiating factor used when considering very similar applications" — is accurate. When two candidates have similar A-Level predictions, GCSEs, and personal statements, the LNAT separates them. When the profiles diverge, the LNAT is one signal among several.

That's why a 22 LNAT can win an offer at Durham (with strong everything else) and a 28 can lose one (with weak predictions or a generic statement). The LNAT does real work, but it doesn't dominate the decision.

Contextual offers

Durham runs one of the broadest contextual offer programmes in the LNAT consortium. In the 2020/21 funnel, 295 of 460 UK offers (64%) were Generalised Contextual Offers — most UK offer holders qualified for some contextual reduction.

Eligibility for Durham contextual offers includes:

• Having been in care or a care leaver.
• Coming from a postcode in the bottom 40% of higher education progression.
• Coming from a school in the bottom 40% of GCSE attainment.
• Eligibility for free school meals.
• Participation in Sutton Trust or Supported Progression programmes.

If you qualify for a contextual offer, Durham will reduce your A-Level offer (typically from A*AA to AAB) and weight your application contextually. The LNAT is read in light of school context.

11What score do you need at Durham?

Durham doesn't release per-applicant LNAT data, only aggregate min/avg/max. The calculator below uses the 2020/21 distribution (range 12-36 for offer holders, mean 24) to position your projected MCQ.

Recall that Durham's 2022/23 offer-holder average was 26 — slightly above the 2020/21 mean used for this calculator. Adjust your interpretation 1-2 marks upward if benchmarking against the most recent cycle.

12Strategy by applicant type

Durham's holistic reading, broad contextual offer programme, and essay-but-not-graded policy push prep in a different direction from Oxford or UCL.

Profile 1: Strong-on-paper UK applicant

You're competing against ~2,000 other applicants for ~1,000 offers. The LNAT does real but not dominant work. Predictions of A*A*A and 6+ A* GCSEs are typical for the offer-holder pool.

Strategy: 50% MCQ drilling (target 28+), 25% essay practice (Durham reads it!), 25% personal statement and reference quality. The 14 January deadline is a real constraint — start prep by August.

Profile 2: Borderline UK applicant

The 2-mark gap between applicant pool (24) and offer holders (26) means moving from 22 to 25 is significant. Durham reads holistically, so a 22 LNAT with strong predictions and personal statement can win an offer.

Strategy: 60% MCQ drilling, 25% essay (it's read at Durham), 15% personal statement. Apply for a contextual offer if eligible — Durham's GCO programme is broad.

Profile 3: Contextual applicant

Durham's GCO programme accounted for 64% of UK offers in 2020/21. If you qualify (state school in low-progression area, free school meals, in care), apply contextually.

Strategy: Apply through Durham's GCO route. The reduced offer (typically AAB instead of A*AA) is a real drop. The LNAT bar runs slightly lower for contextual applicants. Engage with Durham's Supported Progression programme if eligible.

Profile 4: International applicant

Durham's international offer rate has been 55-70% in recent years — higher than UCL or KCL. The bar isn't lower, but the offer pool is more permissive. The 2024 international LNAT mean was about 28-29.

Strategy: Same MCQ targets as home applicants (28+ for comfort). Durham accepts a wide range of international qualifications; check equivalencies early.

Profile 5: Mature / Access HE applicant

Durham accepts 0-5 Access HE Diploma applicants per year. The LNAT bar is genuinely lower (average 23.4). Durham is one of the few LNAT universities that takes Access HE seriously as a route.

Strategy: Apply through the standard M101 route but flag your Access HE Diploma in the personal statement. Engage with Durham's mature student admissions team.

The deadline trap