York achieved 158 points in the UCAS tariff, the 26th highest in the UK. The university gives offers of admission to 78.5% of its applicants, the joint 15th lowest amongst the Russell Group. There are around 6.2 applications for every undergraduate place, and a completion rate of 93.2% with around 80% of graduates graduating with a First/2:1.
17.9% of York's undergraduates are privately educated, the joint 20th highest proportion amongst mainstream British universities. In the 2016–17 academic year, the university had a domicile breakdown of 80:5:16 of UK:EU:non-EU students respectively with a female to male ratio of 56:44. 56.2% of international students enrolled at the institution are from China, the third highest proportion out of all mainstream universities in the UK.
In response to 'financial challenges' revealed in January 2024, the university will lower entrance requirements for international students to the equivalent of BBC at A Level or the equivalent of a 2:2 degree for postgraduate courses.
== Student activities ==
=== Representation ===
The students' union is the University of York Students' Union and is referred to as YorkSU. Its membership is currently the entire student population of the university. It merged with the postgraduate union, the Graduate Students Association (GSA) in 2024. In 2008 YUSU was able to open its first Union-run licensed venue The Courtyard.
Each college has its own JCRC or students' association which provide a variety of services, including college events and student welfare services; they also organise the Freshers' Fortnight activities in their college.
Non-partisan political societies are well represented at the university, with the York Student Think Tank, which produces student policy research and hosts informal debates; the York Dialectic Union, which hosts speakers and debates; and the debating society, which competes in inter-varsity debating tournaments against other universities. There are also party political societies on campus with the University of York Labour …
