2026 Cutoff Scores: How to Interpret Them and Choose a Major

You’ve been refreshing your university’s website for days. You already have your entrance exam score, the cutoff scores have been published, and now it’s time for the part that nobody explains clearly to you in high school: understanding what that number means and what you can do with yours. If it’s August, you probably already know whether you got in, fell just short, or are still on the waitlist waiting for a call. This guide is designed to help you do just that: make sense of the list without getting confused, figure out if you have a real chance, and decide what to do next—no matter what your situation is.

The cutoff score is the admission score of the last student who secured a spot in a specific undergraduate program, at a specific university, and on a specific campus, during a specific admissions cycle. That’s all. It is not set by the ministry, it is not set by the university, and it is not a minimum score that remains stable year after year.

It is calculated automatically, based on two factors: the number of available spots and the number of applicants with high enough scores. If more spots than usual are offered in a given year or if demand drops, the cutoff score goes down. If the opposite happens, it goes up. That is why last year’s cutoff score is a reference point, not a guarantee.

The most common misconception is thinking that you need to exceed “the minimum grade for the program” to be admitted every time, regardless of the application cycle. That’s not the case. You can be admitted with a lower grade than the previous year’s if there is less demand that year, and you can be rejected with a grade that would have been more than enough last year. The cutoff score is determined after admissions are finalized, not before.

This is where many people get confused, because there isn’t a single national list. Admission to universities in Spain is managed by each autonomous community (known as the “single autonomous community district”), and each one publishes its cutoff scores on its own website, almost always organized by university, degree program, and campus.

Before jumping to conclusions, check these four details on the official list:

• Specific university and campus. The same degree program may have different admission cutoff scores at two different campuses of the same university, or between one public university and another in the same city.
• Admission Pathways. High school graduates, vocational training graduates, applicants over 25 or 45 years of age, and students with foreign credentials typically have separate quotas and minimum admission scores within the same degree program.
• Call for Applications. The cutoff score for the first round of admissions is not final. The lists are updated as spots become available.
• Academic year. Always compare with the year you're interested in, not with data from three academic years ago, which no longer reflects current demand.

To check official information, always refer to the website of the university you are interested in or the university portal of the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training, and Sports, along with the portal for your autonomous community (each manages its own single admissions district). Be wary of any rankings or tables that do not cite the official source and the exact year.

Your college entrance score is not the same as your high school GPA. It is calculated as follows:

Admission Score = (high school GPA × 0.6) + (EvAU/university entrance exam score × 0.4)

That score ranges from 0 to 10. From there comes the part that really makes a difference for highly competitive degree programs: the admission phase, where you can earn up to 4 additional points by weighting your two best subjects from the exam’s elective phase, with a weighting factor of 0.1 or 0.2 depending on how closely that subject relates to the degree program. That’s how you arrive at the score of around 14 that appears on the admission lists.

Here’s an example, using made-up numbers to illustrate how it works: if your admission score is 8.5 and, during the optional phase, you took the Math II and Biology exams and scored a 9 on each, and both are weighted at 0.2 for the degree program you want, you’ll add 3.6 more points. Your final score would be 12.1. Compare that number to the official cutoff score for that university and campus for the academic year you’re interested in—never to a random number you’ve seen posted on a forum.

This calculation is especially important for degree programs with limited spots and high demand, such as the cutoff scores for medicine or certain dual engineering degrees, where choosing the right courses to take in the voluntary phase can mean the difference between getting in or being left out. If medicine is your choice, it might be helpful to check which Spanish universities excel in this field before deciding where to apply.

You're just a short distance away

If your score is just a few tenths of a point below the cutoff, it’s not time to give up just yet. Cutoff scores tend to drop in subsequent admission lists as spots become available when people withdraw or enroll elsewhere. Keep your application active, check the deadlines for each list, and don’t automatically accept another option if this is still your top choice.

You've drifted far away

If the difference is several points, waiting usually won't change the outcome. In this case, it makes more sense to explore real alternatives as soon as possible: another campus of the same university, the same degree program in another region, or a related degree program with a lower admission cutoff score that will allow you to change your academic direction later on.

You're on the waiting list

Being on a waiting list isn't a "no." It's a "maybe" with a date. Check how often the list is updated (it varies by region and by university, so check your district’s official calendar) and keep a confirmed backup option in the meantime. Enrolling in a Plan B doesn’t prevent you from switching to your first choice if you get the call; what can happen, however, is that you’ll lose your spot if you don’t respond in time when it’s offered to you.

Not getting into the degree program and university you had in mind your first year doesn't close the door. There are three common paths:

• Change campuses or cities. The same degree program at another university may have a lower admission cutoff score. It’s worth looking beyond the two or three best-known universities.
• Choose a related degree program. Many degree programs share their first year or core courses with related degrees that are less in demand, which makes it easier to switch later on.
• Changing majors after the first year. It’s a common move: you finish your first year, request a transfer of your academic records, and, depending on the university, they’ll transfer some of your credits. It involves paperwork and some strict deadlines, but it’s not a rare exception.

If at this point you still have questions about which option is best for you, your high school’s guidance office or the university’s own college counseling service can review your specific situation—something no generic article can replace.

Yes. The final cutoff score for an admissions cycle is the score of the last student admitted when the process closes, so it may go down in subsequent lists as spots become available.

It depends on the autonomous community and the application period you're in. Most districts allow you to modify your application within specific time frames before the application period closes; check your autonomous community's official calendar so you don't miss the deadline.

They don't all work the same way. Most don't select students based solely on their entrance exam scores; instead, they have their own selection process (such as an interview, a university-administered test, or degree-specific requirements), although many still require a minimum entrance exam score. Always check the specific process on each university's website.

Once you know where you'll be studying, the next decision is a more practical one: where you'll live. If you've decided on a campus but aren't sure about the day-to-day logistics, you can check out the StepHouse student housing options in Spanish and Portuguese university towns where StepHouse offers housing, and compare proximity to campus, room types, and amenities before making a decision. And if your family is helping you navigate this process, this guide for parents on how to choose a college residence hall answers the questions that usually come up before the first visit.