Best A-Level combinations for economics: Your UCAS-ready guide

If you're picking A-Levels with an Economics degree in mind, the first thing to know is that Economics A-Level is not required at any of the top UK Economics courses we checked. The second, more counter-intuitive thing is that at LSE, one of the most competitive Economics departments in the world, the BSc Economics page lists Maths as the required subject with Further Maths as desirable, and does not list Economics A-Level as required or preferred.

This guide walks through what Cambridge, Oxford, LSE, UCL and Warwick actually look for, which A-Level combinations keep every top course open, and which combinations quietly rule out LSE or Cambridge without the student realising. Grades and subject requirements change year to year, always verify the current year's offer on the specific university's course page before you commit.

The hierarchy is simpler than most people assume. Required at every top course we checked: A-Level Maths. Highly rated as a third subject at the top end: A-Level Further Maths. Not required anywhere we checked, but useful: Economics A-Level itself. Specifically not favoured as a combination with Economics: Business Studies.

At the sharp end, Cambridge Economics requires A-Level Maths, and six colleges (Christ's, Churchill, Corpus Christi, Magdalene, St John's and Sidney Sussex) also require Further Maths; 93% of recent entrants had taken it, and candidates sit the TMUA (Test of Mathematics for University Admission) at application. LSE BSc Economics requires A-Level Maths and lists Further Maths as desirable. Oxford Economics and Management requires A-Level Maths. Warwick Economics similarly requires A-Level Maths. Grade offers and admissions-test requirements vary by course and year, so verify each on the course page before you anchor on specific numbers.

At mid-tier Russell Group Economics courses, typical offers tend to be lower than the top end, but Maths is still the subject that most consistently appears as required. UCAS course search links straight to each course's live entry requirements.

University admissions pages are now the authoritative source for subject guidance, the Russell Group scrapped its old "facilitating subjects" list in 2019 and replaced it with its Informed Choices website, which gives general guidance only, so there is no central cross-university rulebook any more.

The combinations below are ordered from "keeps every top Economics course we checked open, including Cambridge, LSE and Oxford PPE" through to combinations that keep most doors open but narrow the top end. Note that Oxford PPE has historically had no required subjects, so an essay subject is a sensible third choice if PPE is a target.

Combinations that admissions tutors tend to rate less generously for an Economics application at top universities include three sciences without Maths at the forefront (not a disaster, but less typical and the Maths side needs to be excellent), Business Studies as the quantitative subject (Russell Group readers tend to prefer Economics or Statistics), and dropping Maths at AS "to focus on Economics" (ends the application at every top-20 Economics course). Dropping Maths is the most common mistake students make when they picked Economics A-Level first and found Maths harder than expected.

Economics has fewer admissions tests than STEM subjects, but there are some to track. Cambridge Economics uses the TMUA (Test of Mathematics for University Admission) at application. Oxford Economics and Management has an admissions-test requirement that has been changing in recent cycles, so verify the current year's test on the course page. The TMUA is also used by a wider group of Economics departments; check the TMUA participating universities list for the current year.

Admissions tests have been in flux across top universities since 2023 (the ECAA, which Cambridge Economics used to require, was retired, and other tests have been reshuffled). Always verify the current year's test requirement on each university's course page and the admissions testing service page before you plan preparation. The test your sixth-form told you about may not still be in use.

If you're applying to a course that uses the TMUA, start preparing in Year 12 at the latest: build to full-paper practice before the autumn sitting in Year 13.

Once you've shortlisted a combination:

Check the current course page for every target university. LSE, Cambridge, Oxford, UCL and Warwick all publish current typical offers and admissions tests openly. The wording changes each year, especially around whether STEP, TSA or alternative tests are in use.

If you're considering PPE at Oxford or HSPS at Cambridge as an alternative route to Economics, read those course pages too, the subject expectations are different enough that choosing a combination for "Economics" without checking PPE's requirements has cost students the application in past cycles.

Book an open day at two or three target universities during Year 12. Admissions talks almost always include subject guidance from the actual tutors, which is a far better signal than any guide (this one included).

For the mathematical core of Economics, start building quantitative muscle early. Our guide to A-Level Maths vs Further Maths explains why Further Maths is such a strong signal for competitive STEM-adjacent applications, and our complete guide to AQA A-Level Economics covers what Economics A-Level actually looks like if you're considering it as your third subject.