What each university says, with the source
| University | Course | IB points | Maths required | Maths AI HL | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Imperial College LondonUK | Mechanical Engineering MEng2027 entry | 407 in HL Mathematics and 7 in HL Physics (typical offer); minimum 6 and 6 | HL Mathematics, grade 7 typical (6 minimum) | Accepted, AA preferred | imperial.ac.ukchecked |
| University of CambridgeUK | Engineering BA (Hons) and MEng2027 entry | 41-42776 at Higher Level | HL Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches | AA asked; ask the College if not offered | undergraduate.study.cam.ac.ukchecked |
| University of OxfordUK | Engineering Science | 40 including core points776 at HL, with 7s in HL Mathematics and Physics | HL Mathematics grade 7 | Accepted | ox.ac.uk and maths policychecked |
| UCLUK | Mechanical Engineering MEng | 3919 points in three HL subjects, 7 and 6 in Mathematics and Physics in any order | HL Mathematics grade 6 or 7 | Accepted | ucl.ac.ukchecked |
| University of BristolUK | BEng Mechanical Engineering2027 entry | 3818 at HL, 7 and 6 in Mathematics and one of Physics, Chemistry, Further Mathematics or Computer Science | HL Mathematics grade 6 or 7 | Accepted | bristol.ac.ukchecked |
| EPFLSwitzerland | All bachelor programmes (one rule for the whole school) | 38 out of 42, without bonus pointsHL Mathematics, HL Physics and one of HL Chemistry, Biology or Computer Science; grade 6 or more in Mathematics and Physics | HL Mathematics | Accepted | epfl.chchecked |
| University of WarwickUK | BEng Mechanical Engineering | 366, 6 in Mathematics and Physics, at least one at HL | Mathematics grade 6, at HL or SL | Not stated on the page | warwick.ac.ukchecked |
| King's College LondonUK | General Engineering BEng | 36 | HL Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches, grade 6 | Not accepted | kcl.ac.ukchecked |
| University of ManchesterUK | MEng Mechanical Engineering2027 entry | 387, 7, 6 at HL including Mathematics and Physics | HL Mathematics | Accepted | manchester.ac.ukchecked |
| ETH ZurichSwitzerland | All bachelor programmes (one rule for the whole school)Academic year 2025/26 | 38 out of 42, without bonus pointsHL Mathematics, HL Physics or Chemistry or Biology, HL language A | HL Mathematics, either course | Accepted | ethz.ch (PDF)checked |
| TU DelftNetherlands | BSc Aerospace Engineering (taught in English) | Not statedMathematics AA HL and Physics HL | HL Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches | Not accepted | tudelft.nlchecked |
| NTU SingaporeSingapore | All programmes with a Mathematics prerequisite | Not stated | Mathematics where the programme requires it, either course | Accepted | ntu.edu.sgchecked |
| NUSSingapore | EngineeringInformation accurate as of December 2025 | Not stated | Pass in HL Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches | Not accepted | nus.edu.sg (PDF)checked |
| McGill UniversityCanada | Programmes with a mathematics prerequisite (central IB page) | Not stated | HL Analysis and Approaches, SL Analysis and Approaches or HL Applications and Interpretation | Accepted | mcgill.cachecked |
Why the common advice is out of date
When the two IB maths courses started in 2019, many universities had not decided what to do with Applications and Interpretation. The safe advice was "take AA HL or you cannot do engineering". Much of what is online still repeats it.
The official pages now say something different. Imperial writes that both courses are accepted at Higher Level and that Analysis and Approaches is preferred. UCL, Bristol, Manchester, ETH and EPFL accept either. The universities that still exclude AI HL say so in plain words, and TU Delft is the clearest example.
Accepted is not the same as well prepared
An admissions page answers one question: will the application be considered. It does not say how the first year will feel. First-year engineering maths is calculus, differential equations, complex numbers and linear algebra, taught fast. AA HL covers most of that ground before the student arrives. AI HL spends a large part of its hours on statistics and modelling with technology instead.
A student who is sure about engineering and can cope with AA HL should take it. A student already in AI HL who decides on engineering late still has real options, as the table shows, and should plan to close the calculus gap before the degree starts. That is a summer of focused work, not a reason to change course in the middle of the Diploma.
Where "preferred" appears, read it as a tiebreak
Imperial uses the word "preferred" for Mechanical Engineering. It is not a ban. In a course with many more strong applicants than places, a preference can decide between two similar files. An AI HL applicant to a course like that needs the rest of the application, and the admissions test score, to carry more weight.