The short answer
- We found 13 UK universities whose official course pages ask for IELTS 6.0 overall for a Master's in data science, as of October 2026. They include Essex, Teesside, Ulster, UEL, Hertfordshire, Lincoln, London Met, Derby, Bangor, Cardiff Met, Swansea, Aberystwyth and Robert Gordon.
- 6.0 overall is rarely the whole rule. Most also set a minimum for each band, usually 5.5, and UEL asks for 6.0 in writing and speaking.
- Several popular choices need 6.5: Coventry, Brunel, Kingston, Anglia Ruskin and Greenwich among those we checked.
- Below 6.0? Most universities on our list run pre-sessional English courses that let you start the Master's without retaking IELTS.
- Requirements are set course by course. At Derby, Advanced Data Science needs 6.0 but Applied Data Science needs 6.5.
An IELTS score of 6.0 is common, and it is often the only thing standing between an Indian student and a UK offer. The good news is that a fair number of UK universities accept 6.0 for a data science Master's. The catch is in the detail: band minimums, entry requirements and which version of the course you pick.
We read the official course page for each university below in October 2026. We did not use agent or ranking websites. Where a page didn't state an IELTS score clearly, we left that university out.
UK data science Master's that accept IELTS 6.0
| University | Course | IELTS asked for | Starts | International fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Essex | MSc Data Science | 6.0, at least 5.5 in every band | Jan 2027, Oct 2027 | £23,875 |
| Teesside University | MSc Data Science | 6.0 (no band minimum stated) | Jan, May, Sep | £17,000 a year2026-27 |
| Ulster University | MSc Data Science and Artificial IntelligenceDerry~Londonderry campus | 6.0, no band below 5.5 | Sep 2026, Jan 2027 | See course page |
| University of East London | MSc Data Science | 6.0, with 6.0 in writing and speaking and 5.5 in listening and reading | Sep 2026, Jan 2027 | £17,220 a year |
| University of Hertfordshire | MSc Data Science and Machine Learning | Equivalent to 6.0 (no band minimum stated) | Jan 2027, Sep 2027 | £19,9502026/27 |
| University of Lincoln | MSc Data Science and Applied Analytics | 6.0, at least 5.5 in each band | Sep 2027 | See course page |
| London Metropolitan University | MSc Data Analytics | 6.0, 5.5 in each band (the university's standard) | Jan 2027, Sep 2027 | £20,000 a year |
| University of Derby | MSc Advanced Data Science | 6.0 (no band minimum stated) | Sep, Jan | £17,500 full course2026/27 |
| Bangor University | MSc Advanced Data ScienceNeeds a computer science or related degree | 6.0, no band below 5.5 | Jan, Sep | See course page |
| Cardiff Metropolitan University | MSc Data Science and Analytics; MSc Data Science and Artificial Intelligence | 6.0 (no band minimum stated) | Sep, Jan | See course page |
| Swansea University | MSc Artificial Intelligence and Data ScienceNeeds a computer science or related degree | 6.0, at least 5.5 in each band | Jan, Sep | £24,200Sep 2026 or Jan 2027 |
| Swansea University | MSc Applied Data ScienceFor graduates without a numerate degree | 6.0, at least 5.5 in each band | Sep | £24,200Sep 2026 |
| Aberystwyth University | MSc Data Science | 6.0, at least 5.5 in each band | Sep 2027 | See course page |
| Robert Gordon UniversityAberdeen | MSc Data Science | 6.0, no band below 5.5 | Jan, Sep | £21,0902026-2027 |
Fees are for international students for the year shown on the course page; where no year is shown, it is the fee displayed in October 2026. At ₹127.60 = £1 (FBIL reference rate, 30 October 2026), the fees above run from about ₹21.7 lakh (Teesside, £17,000) to ₹30.9 lakh (Swansea, £24,200).
Why "6.0" is not the whole requirement
Look at the second half of each requirement. "6.0 with no band below 5.5" means a 5.0 in writing sinks the application, even with a 6.5 overall. UEL goes further and asks for 6.0 in both writing and speaking. A few pages (Teesside, Hertfordshire, Derby and Cardiff Met) state only the overall score. Even then, email admissions to confirm before you rely on a low band.
Also check which tests the university accepts and whether it wants IELTS Academic or IELTS for UKVI. Our IELTS guide explains the difference, and the PTE and TOEFL guides cover the alternatives.
If you scored below 6.0: pre-sessional English
A pre-sessional course is a paid English course run by the university just before your degree. If you pass it at the required level, you go straight into the Master's without retaking IELTS. Here is what the universities on our list publish.
| University | Pre-sessional lengths | Lowest published entry score |
|---|---|---|
| Essex | 15, 10 or 5 weeks | Not stated; the courses lift your level by the equivalent of 1.5, 1.0 or 0.5 IELTS bands |
| Teesside | 12 or 6 weeks | 12 weeks online from IELTS 5.0 (no band below 4.5) |
| UEL | 5 weeks online | IELTS 5.5, no band below 5.5 |
| Derby | 12, 8 or 5 weeks online | 12 weeks from IELTS 4.5 (no band below 4.0) |
| Swansea | 20, 12, 10 or 6 weeks | 20 weeks from IELTS 4.5 (no band below 4.0); check the exit level your course needs |
| Aberystwyth | 11 or 6 weeks online | 11 weeks from IELTS 5.0 (no band below 4.5) |
| Bangor | Several courses ending in September 2027 | Longest course from IELTS 4.5 (no band below 4.0), higher for degrees needing 6.5 or more |
| London Met | 16, 12 or 6 weeks online | Not stated; roughly 1.5, 1.0 or 0.5 bands of uplift |
The entry score you need depends on the score your Master's asks for. The Teesside, UEL, Derby and Aberystwyth figures are the ones those universities publish for degrees that need 6.0.
Lincoln's course page says pre-sessional courses may be available, and Hertfordshire says it considers applicants below 6.0 case by case. Ask both directly. Robert Gordon points students towards a pre-Master's at its international college instead.
Universities we checked that ask for 6.5
These courses come up often, but their pages ask for more than 6.0. If you have 6.0 overall, you would need a pre-sessional course or a retake.
- Coventry University, MSc Data Science: 6.5, no band below 5.5.
- Brunel University of London, MSc Data Science and Analytics: 6.5, at least 6.0 in every band.
- Kingston University, MSc Data Science: 6.5, no band below 6.0.
- Anglia Ruskin University, MSc Applied Data Science (conversion): 6.5, 5.5 in each band.
- University of Greenwich, MSc Data Science: the course page gives no score, and the university's English table asks 6.5 overall for MSc courses, with 5.5 in each band.
- University of Derby, MSc Applied Data Science: 6.5 (its Advanced Data Science course needs 6.0).
How to choose between them
- Your background. Swansea's AI and Data Science course and Bangor's Advanced Data Science course expect a computer science or related degree. Swansea's Applied Data Science is built for graduates who don't have a numerate degree.
- Your start date. Essex, Teesside, Ulster, UEL, Hertfordshire, London Met, Derby, Bangor, Cardiff Met, Swansea and Robert Gordon all list January starts.
- Your total budget, not just the fee. UEL and London Met are in London, where the living costs you must show for the visa are higher. Read what a UK Master's really costs.
- Your plan after graduating. All are UK degrees, so the Graduate visa rules are the same. If you apply for it on or after 1 January 2027, it lasts 18 months.
You can compare data science courses on our Data Science & Analytics page or search UK postgraduate data programs.
Sources
- University of Essex, MSc Data Science and Pre-sessional English (checked Oct 2026)
- Teesside University, MSc Data Science and Pre-sessional English (checked Oct 2026)
- Ulster University, Data Science and Artificial Intelligence MSc (checked Oct 2026)
- University of East London, MSc Data Science and Pre-sessional English (checked Oct 2026)
- University of Hertfordshire, MSc Data Science and Machine Learning (checked Oct 2026)
- University of Lincoln, MSc Data Science and Applied Analytics (checked Oct 2026)
- London Metropolitan University, Data Analytics MSc, Postgraduate English requirements and Pre-sessional Academic English (checked Oct 2026)
- University of Derby, Advanced Data Science MSc and Pre-sessional English for Academic Purposes (checked Oct 2026)
- Bangor University, Advanced Data Science MSc and Pre-sessional courses (checked Oct 2026)
- Cardiff Metropolitan University, MSc Data Science and Analytics and MSc Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (checked Oct 2026)
- Swansea University, MSc Artificial Intelligence and Data Science, MSc Applied Data Science and English language courses (checked Oct 2026)
- Aberystwyth University, MSc Data Science and Pre-sessional courses (checked Oct 2026)
- Robert Gordon University, MSc Data Science (checked Oct 2026)
- Courses needing 6.5: Coventry University, Data Science MSc; Brunel University of London, Data Science and Analytics MSc; Kingston University, Data Science MSc; Anglia Ruskin University, Applied Data Science MSc and entry requirements; University of Greenwich, Data Science MSc and English requirements; University of Derby, Applied Data Science MSc (all checked Oct 2026)
- GOV.UK, Graduate visa (checked Oct 2026)
- Reserve Bank of India, FBIL reference rates for 30 October 2026 (checked Oct 2026)
