Where are Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) and Queen Mary (QMUL) located, and how does that affect cost?

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) is in Aberdeen, UK. Queen Mary (QMUL) is in London, UK. Scottish-domiciled applicants funded by SAAS pay no tuition fees at Scottish medical schools — a substantial funding advantage worth tens of thousands of pounds over the degree. Rest-of-UK applicants still pay £9,250/year.

When does each school release decisions?

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) typically releases dentistry decisions Spring. Queen Mary (QMUL) releases dentistry decisions Spring. If one is earlier than the other, you may need to hold a decision while waiting for the second school — be ready to compare in real time.

Dental school comparison

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) vs Queen Mary (QMUL)

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) and Queen Mary (QMUL) are both UK dental schools, but the path to an offer at each is meaningfully different. Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) is based in Aberdeen (Scotland) while Queen Mary (QMUL) sits in London (London), and the regional context shapes everything from fee status to NHS-deanery destination.

The interview formats diverge — MMI vs Panel — and the prep approaches for the two are fundamentally different. Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) is the older institution (founded 1495); the other (founded 1843) has shaped its medical school around modern integrated-curriculum thinking.

Side-by-side comparison

Show only differences

Side-by-side comparison: Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) and Queen Mary (QMUL).
Comparison field	Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry)Aberdeen	Queen Mary (QMUL)London
Quick comparison
Location	Aberdeen, UK	London, UK
A-Level offer	2:1 in biosciences or allied healthcare profession. UK applicants only. A-levels not used.	AAA at A-level (offer and prediction) — single sitting, no more than 2 years. UCAS Tariff minimum 152 (AAA delivers this).
TrueScore	Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) TrueScore 1170	Queen Mary (QMUL) TrueScore 2210
UCAT home cut-off	~1820+ RUK lowest 2023 entry; Scottish ~1560+	Expressed as a decile, not a raw score: applications below the fourth decile of the total UCAT do not pass first shortlisting, and clearing it guarantees nothing.
Interview format	90-minute MMI; offers made on interview performance only	Two-interviewer panel, online (January–February)
Post-interview chance	Approximately 30 offers from 60 interviews (~50%) for 20 places.	2025 - All applicants: 182/267 = 68%. Overseas: 13/22 = 59%.
Decision date	Spring	Spring

A-Level offer	2:1 in biosciences or allied healthcare profession. UK applicants only. A-levels not used.	AAA at A-level (offer and prediction) — single sitting, no more than 2 years. UCAS Tariff minimum 152 (AAA delivers this).
Contextual A-Level offer	-	Reduced offer available for East London / contextual applicants
Required A-Level subjects	-	Biology or Chemistry required, plus a second science from Chemistry / Biology / Physics / Mathematics
A-Level resit policy	Not applicable to graduate entry.	Resits only with extenuating circumstances falling under the Equality and Diversity Act 2010
GCSE requirements	No specific GCSE requirements published — competence demonstrated via the degree	Six GCSEs at grade 7,7,7,6,6,6 (777666) or above, must include Mathematics, English Language or Literature, Biology and Chemistry (or Double Science). GCSEs are not required for graduate applicants.
GCSE scoring methodology	-	Used as minimum threshold once met — UCAT and UCAS tariff drive the ranking. No longer at a 50:50 UCAS:UCAT weighting.
Scottish Highers	-	AAA at Higher
Scottish Advanced Highers	-	AA at Advanced Higher
International Baccalaureate	-	37 points overall, 666 at Higher Level including Chemistry or Biology, plus one further science from Chemistry / Biology / Physics / Mathematics
Graduate-entry degree requirement	2:1 (Upper-second-class Honours) or above in Biosciences or an Allied Healthcare Profession (Nursing, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, etc.). Predicted grades acceptable for current-year graduates.	2:1 (Upper-second-class Honours) or above. Graduate qualifications scored via QMUL's internal Academic Points system (50/50 UCAT:Academic Points). No GCSE requirement for graduates.
Alternative qualifications	UK applicants only — international students not accepted. UCAT contributes 40% of pre-interview ranking; degree class 60%. A-levels not used in graduate ranking.	-

Contextual cut-off	-	-
Scottish (where applicable)	~1560+ lowest score to receive interview (2023 entry)	-
Rest of UK (where applicable)	~1820+ lowest score to receive interview (2023 entry)	-
International cut-off	UK applicants only - international students not accepted	-
Graduate cut-off	-	-
SJT band	No use of SJT in selection	Band 4 automatically rejected. Used post-interview in offer-making (likely minimal weighting).
UCAT notes	UCAT contributes 40% of selection. Personal statement requirements posted on the Aberdeen website.	Queen Mary states that thresholds cannot be predicted for any individual year, nor derived from previous years - which is why the bar is published as a decile rather than a score. Applicants above the…

Degree awarded	BDS	BDS
Course length	4 years (graduate entry, direct into year 2)	5 years
Teaching style	Integrated	Integrated
Anatomy teaching	-	-
First patient contact	Year 2	-
Placement geography	-	East London
Named placement sites	-	The Royal London Dental Institute
Intercalation	-	-
Course highlight	Only 20 places are available each year.	The Institute of Dentistry moved into the Alexandra Wing of The Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel in 2014 — a £78 million building, the first new dental school built in the UK for over 40 years.

Interview window	Spring	January – February
Interview details	90-minute MMI interview. Once you reach interview, performance alone determines your offer - academic attainment determines who is invited, but the interview score determines who is accepted. Highly c…	Online panel interview with two senior academic/clinical staff, a dental student, or sometimes a lay selector. Split into two parts: (1) questions based on an article given 2 weeks prior; (2) personal…

Specialities	Graduate Entry Dentistry (BDS)	Dentistry (BDS)
Established	1495	1843
Course type	Graduate Entry	Undergraduate
What makes it different	Academic attainment weighted 60% (predicted/achieved degree result), UCAT 40%. A-levels not used. UK applicants only. ~60 candidates interviewed; ~30 offers made for 20 places - ~7 offers to RUK candi…	Queen Mary applies a fourth-decile minimum on the total UCAT: below it an application does not pass first shortlisting, and clearing it guarantees nothing. The bar is published as a decile rather than…
Official course page	https://www.abdn.ac.uk/dental/study/bds/	https://www.qmul.ac.uk/undergraduate/coursefinder/courses/2026/dentistry/

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry)

Aberdeen

Quick comparison

Location: Aberdeen, UK
A-Level offer: 2:1 in biosciences or allied healthcare profession. UK applicants only. A-levels not used.
TrueScore: Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) TrueScore 1170
UCAT home cut-off: ~1820+ RUK lowest 2023 entry; Scottish ~1560+
Interview format: 90-minute MMI; offers made on interview performance only
Post-interview chance: Approximately 30 offers from 60 interviews (~50%) for 20 places.
Decision date: Spring

Queen Mary (QMUL)

London

Quick comparison

Location: London, UK
A-Level offer: A*AA at A-level (offer and prediction) — single sitting, no more than 2 years. UCAS Tariff minimum 152 (A*AA delivers this).
TrueScore: Queen Mary (QMUL) TrueScore 2210
UCAT home cut-off: Expressed as a decile, not a raw score: applications below the fourth decile of the total UCAT do not pass first shortlisting, and clearing it guarantees nothing.
Interview format: Two-interviewer panel, online (January–February)
Post-interview chance: 2025 - All applicants: 182/267 = 68%. Overseas: 13/22 = 59%.
Decision date: Spring

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) vs Queen Mary (QMUL) - in detail

A-Level and academic profile

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) requires 2:1 in biosciences or allied healthcare profession. UK applicants only. A-levels not used.

Queen Mary (QMUL) requires A*AA at A-level (offer and prediction) — single sitting, no more than 2 years. UCAS Tariff minimum 152 (A*AA delivers this).

GCSE profile matters at both schools — Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry): No specific GCSE requirements published — competence demonstrated via the degree. Queen Mary (QMUL): Six GCSEs at grade 7,7,7,6,6,6 (777666) or above, must include Mathematics, English Language or Literature, Biology and Chemistry (or Double Science). GCSEs are not required for graduate applicants…

Interview formats

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) uses MMI (90-minute MMI; offers made on interview performance only); Queen Mary (QMUL) uses Panel (Two-interviewer panel, online (January–February)). These two formats reward different skills — MMI emphasises breadth, station-recovery and structured answers under time pressure, while Panel rewards depth and consistency.

If your strengths lie in conversational depth, Queen Mary (QMUL) may suit you more. If you prefer discrete capsule answers under time pressure, Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) is the better fit.

Interview windows: Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) interviews in Spring; Queen Mary (QMUL) in January – February.

Curriculum and teaching style

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) runs a PBL curriculum; Queen Mary (QMUL) runs a Integrated curriculum. The teaching philosophies are different — Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) leans on small-group case-based learning from year 1, while Queen Mary (QMUL) uses a more traditional lecture-led structure.

Specifics: Four-year accelerated graduate-entry BDS. Aberdeen-based with clinical placements across NHS Grampian and remote/rural Scotland. Five-year BDS at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry. Clinical placements at Royal London Dental Hospital and East London community

Intake size: Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) — ~30-40 places per year (small graduate-entry cohort).; Queen Mary (QMUL) — ~80 home + ~20 international places per year for BDS Dentistry (Barts and The London).. A larger cohort means more peer breadth; a smaller cohort means more tutor contact.

Post-interview offer rate

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry): Approximately 30 offers from 60 interviews (~50%) for 20 places. Queen Mary (QMUL): 2025 - All applicants: 182/267 = 68%. Overseas: 13/22 = 59%.

Post-interview odds give you the clearest signal of how competitive each school is at the final stage — a school with a 60% post-interview success rate is structurally easier to convert than one at 25%, even if the interview thresholds look identical on paper.

What makes each distinctive

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry): Academic attainment weighted 60% (predicted/achieved degree result), UCAT 40%. A-levels not used. UK applicants only. ~60 candidates interviewed; ~30 offers made for 20 places - ~7 offers to RUK candidates.

Queen Mary (QMUL): Queen Mary applies a fourth-decile minimum on the total UCAT: below it an application does not pass first shortlisting, and clearing it guarantees nothing. The bar is published as a decile rather than a score because the boundary moves with each cohort, and Queen Mary states thresholds cannot be predicted from previous years.

Higher predicted grades do not compensate. SJT band 4 automatically rejected.

Which is right for you?

Regionally, the choice often comes down to cost of living and NHS-deanery preferences — Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) feeds into the Scotland foundation programme network; Queen Mary (QMUL) into the London network. If you learn best in small-group case discussion, prefer Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry); if you prefer lecture-led foundations, the other suits better.

Your firm/insurance choice should ultimately weight: where your UCAT and predicted grades sit relative to each school's threshold, which interview format you can prepare for most credibly, and where you'd actually want to live for five years.

Common questions

Neither school publishes a single fixed UCAT cut-off; both use UCAT as part of a composite shortlisting score alongside GCSE and personal-statement weighting. Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) guidance: ~1820+ RUK lowest 2023 entry; Scottish ~1560+. Queen Mary (QMUL) guidance: Expressed as a decile, not a raw score: applications below the fourth decile of the total UCAT do not pass first shortlisting, and clearing it guarantees nothing..

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) uses Multiple Mini Interviews: 90-minute MMI; offers made on interview performance only. Queen Mary (QMUL) uses Panel interview: Two-interviewer panel, online (January–February). The two formats reward different skill sets. Plan separate prep streams for each, with at least 3 full mock interviews per format before sitting either. Interview windows: Spring (Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry)); January – February (Queen Mary (QMUL)).

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) requires 2:1 in biosciences or allied healthcare profession. UK applicants only. A-levels not used.. Queen Mary (QMUL) requires A*AA in single sitting, no more than 2 years. Must include biology or chemistry + second science from chemistry/biology/physics/maths. Resit only with extenuating circumstances under Equality and Diversity Act 2010.. Most successful applicants achieve these grades on first sitting with strong predicted grades from their school. Resit policies differ: Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) — Not applicable to graduate entry.. Queen Mary (QMUL) — Resits considered with explanation..

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) — No specific GCSE requirements published — competence demonstrated via the degree. Queen Mary (QMUL) — Six GCSEs at grade 7,7,7,6,6,6 (777666) or above, must include Mathematics, English Language or Literature, Biology and Chemistry (or Double Science). GCSEs are not required for graduate applicants. Used as minimum threshold once met — UCAT and UCAS tariff drive the ranking. No longer at a 50:50 UCAS:UCAT weighting.

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry)'s selection methodology: UCAT + degree class + interview. Aberdeen's distinctive remote/rural placement strand applies. Queen Mary (QMUL)'s selection methodology: UCAT + academic + MMI. SJT used post-interview. Strong East London focus. Understanding each school's exact algorithm is the single highest-leverage piece of pre-application research — it tells you whether your profile is competitive before you spend an application choice.

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry): Approximately 30 offers from 60 interviews (~50%) for 20 places.. Queen Mary (QMUL): 2025 - All applicants: 182/267 = 68%. Overseas: 13/22 = 59%.. Post-interview odds tell you how competitive each school is at the final stage. Two schools with similar UCAT thresholds can have very different post-interview rates — a school with a 60% post-interview success rate is structurally easier to convert than one at 25%.

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) runs a PBL curriculum. Queen Mary (QMUL) runs a Integrated curriculum. The teaching philosophies differ — pick the style that matches how you learn best. Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) specifics: Four-year accelerated graduate-entry BDS. Aberdeen-based with clinical placements across NHS Grampian and remote/rural Scotland. Queen Mary (QMUL) specifics: Five-year BDS at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry. Clinical placements at Royal London Dental Hospital and East London community sites.

You can — UCAS allows 4 medicine/dentistry choices in total, so listing both is feasible if your profile fits each school's selection algorithm. Apply to both only if your UCAT, GCSE and predicted-grade profile is competitive against each school's published weighting. A common mistake is using two of your four slots on similar schools when a more spread-out portfolio (one safe + one stretch) would maximise overall offer probability.

Where to go next

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry)Entry requirements, interview format and key dates in full

Queen Mary (QMUL)Entry requirements, interview format and key dates in full

Other dental school comparisons

School data reviewed by the NextGen MedPrep editorial team — last reviewed 19 September 2026.

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) vs Queen Mary (QMUL)

Side-by-side comparison

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) vs Queen Mary (QMUL) - in detail

A-Level and academic profile

Interview formats

Curriculum and teaching style

Post-interview offer rate

What makes each distinctive

Which is right for you?

Common questions

What UCAT score do I need for Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) vs Queen Mary (QMUL)?

How do interviews differ between Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) and Queen Mary (QMUL)?

What A-Level grades do Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) and Queen Mary (QMUL) require?

How are GCSEs weighted at Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) vs Queen Mary (QMUL)?

How does each school actually shortlist applicants?

Which has a higher post-interview offer rate, Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) or Queen Mary (QMUL)?

Where are Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) and Queen Mary (QMUL) located, and how does that affect cost?

When does each school release decisions?

What curriculum style do Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) and Queen Mary (QMUL) use?

Should I apply to both Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) and Queen Mary (QMUL)?

Where to go next

Other dental school comparisons