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Dental school comparison

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) vs Queen's University Belfast

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) and Queen's University Belfast 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's University Belfast sits in Belfast (Northern Ireland), and the regional context shapes everything from fee status to NHS-deanery destination. On UCAT alone there is roughly a 205-point gap between them — a substantial difference that should shape which you list as firm choice vs. insurance. Their A-Level requirements (2:1 vs AAA) place them in slightly different academic-strictness tiers. Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) is the older institution (founded 1495); the other (founded 1845) has shaped its medical school around modern integrated-curriculum thinking.

Side-by-side comparison

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
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's University Belfast

Belfast

Quick comparison

Location
Belfast, UK
A-Level offer
AAA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology (or Human Biology)
TrueScore
1750
UCAT home cut-off
School-leaver threshold 36+ points (out of 42) for 2025; 38, 37 needed in 2024, 2023 - translates approx to 5×9s + 4×8s + ~1850+/2700 UCAT. Equivalent ~36/45 also gets in 2026 cycle.
Interview format
MMI / panel format
Post-interview chance
All applicants (2024): 87/204 = 43%.
Decision date
March onwards
Compare different schools

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) vs Queen's University Belfast - in detail

UCAT thresholds compared

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry)'s published UCAT threshold for home applicants is around 1820, while Queen's University Belfast sits at approximately 2025. The 205-point spread matters: Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) offers slightly more headroom for an average-strong UCAT, while Queen's University Belfast expects performance closer to the national 75th-90th percentile. Contextual / widening-participation cut-offs differ — Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry): not separately disclosed; Queen's University Belfast: Different combinations valid - very low deciles accepted with 9× grade 9s at GCSE. Eligible applicants should weight this heavily when choosing.

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's University Belfast requires AAA including chemistry and biology/human biology. Resit: only those who applied to QUB Dentistry on first attempt and held an offer (if made) as conditional firm - then awarded 36/36 on academics.. Queen's University Belfast is the stricter A-Level offer; Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) is slightly more forgiving. If your predicted grades are borderline, Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) carries the lower academic-rejection risk pre-interview.

Interview formats

Both Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) and Queen's University Belfast use MMI interviews, so the underlying prep approach is the same — practise ethics frameworks, NHS hot-topic answers and (for MMI) structured station responses against a timer. That said, the specifics differ slightly: Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) runs 90-minute mmi; offers made on interview performance only; Queen's University Belfast runs mmi / panel format. Mock practice tailored to each school's exact format is the highest-leverage prep. Interview windows: Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) interviews in Spring; Queen's University Belfast in December – February.

Post-interview offer rate

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry): Approximately 30 offers from 60 interviews (~50%) for 20 places.. Queen's University Belfast: All applicants (2024): 87/204 = 43%.. 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's University Belfast: Scoring system changed: total now /45 (UCAT /9 not /6). UK students scored on UCAT decile + best 9 GCSEs (9 = 4 pts, 7/8 = 3 pts, 6 = 2 pts, 4/5 = 1 pt). Achieved A-levels meeting requirements = 36/36. International students: no UCAT needed; assessed holistically. 15 overseas places.

Which is right for you?

If your UCAT lands below the UK median (~2500/3600), Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) is the more realistic firm-choice option. For applicants with predicted A-Level grades at the lower end of the AAA-A*AA range, Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) is the lower-risk academic option. 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's University Belfast into the Northern Ireland network. 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

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry)'s typical home cut-off is around 1820, while Queen's University Belfast sits at approximately 2025 — a 205-point spread. That's a meaningful gap; Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) is materially more accessible for an average-to-good UCAT, while Queen's University Belfast expects performance closer to the top 44% of test-takers. Cut-offs change year on year and vary by tier — check each school's latest published threshold before submitting your UCAS form.

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) uses Multiple Mini Interviews: 90-minute MMI; offers made on interview performance only. Queen's University Belfast uses Multiple Mini Interviews: MMI / panel format. The format is the same, so the same prep approach applies — practise ethics frameworks, NHS hot topics, and (for MMI) structured 5-7 minute station answers. Interview windows: Spring (Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry)); December – February (Queen's University Belfast).

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) requires 2:1 in biosciences or allied healthcare profession. UK applicants only. A-levels not used.. Queen's University Belfast requires AAA including chemistry and biology/human biology. Resit: only those who applied to QUB Dentistry on first attempt and held an offer (if made) as conditional firm - then awarded 36/36 on academics.. Most successful applicants achieve these grades on first sitting with strong predicted grades from their school.

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) — Not applicable - graduate-entry programme. Requires a 2:1 honours degree. Queen's University Belfast — GCSE performance considered as part of the broader academic profile; specific scoring not published.

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry)'s selection methodology: UCAT + degree class + interview. Aberdeen's distinctive remote/rural placement strand applies. Queen's University Belfast's selection methodology: shortlisting weight not fully disclosed; check the official admissions page. 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's University Belfast: All applicants (2024): 87/204 = 43%.. 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) is in Aberdeen, UK. Queen's University Belfast is in Belfast, 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.

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) typically releases dentistry decisions Spring. Queen's University Belfast releases dentistry decisions March onwards. 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.

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.