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

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) is in Aberdeen, UK. Sheffield is in Sheffield, 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. Sheffield 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.

Dental school comparison

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) vs Sheffield

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) and Sheffield 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 Sheffield sits in Sheffield (England), 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 1898) 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 Sheffield.
Comparison field	Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry)Aberdeen	SheffieldSheffield
Quick comparison
Location	Aberdeen, UK	Sheffield, 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) including Chemistry and Biology, plus a pass in the practical element of any science A-levels taken
TrueScore	Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) TrueScore 1170	Sheffield TrueScore 2050
UCAT home cut-off	~1820+ RUK lowest 2023 entry; Scottish ~1560+	Sheffield does not publish a dentistry UCAT cut-off. Applicants who clear the academic and UCAT criteria are ranked on UCAT score, so the effective bar moves each cycle with the strength of the field.
Interview format	90-minute MMI; offers made on interview performance only	Semi-structured face-to-face 15 min in-person panel + group task (Feb 20–27)
Post-interview chance	Approximately 30 offers from 60 interviews (~50%) for 20 places.	Home applicants: 132/317 = 42% (2024). International: 4/11 = 36%. Typically ~130 offers and ~350 interviews.
Decision date	Spring	March onwards

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) including Chemistry and Biology, plus a pass in the practical element of any science A-levels taken
Contextual A-Level offer	-	AAB at A-level for Access Sheffield (widening-access) applicants — including Chemistry and Biology with practical-element pass
Required A-Level subjects	-	Chemistry and Biology both required
A-Level resit policy	Not applicable to graduate entry.	Resits accepted: must have achieved BBB on first sitting, otherwise can only apply with achieved results
GCSE requirements	No specific GCSE requirements published — competence demonstrated via the degree	Six GCSEs at grade 7/A including English Language, Mathematics, and Science (Chemistry and Biology, or Dual Science). "One or two B/6 grades consider applying once you have achieved your A-levels" (2026 open day).
GCSE scoring methodology	-	Used as minimum threshold only — once met, shortlisting is solely by UCAT (top 25 percentile required)
Scottish Highers	-	AAABB at Higher (five Highers including Chemistry and Biology)
Scottish Advanced Highers	-	AA at Advanced Higher in Chemistry and Biology
International Baccalaureate	-	36 points overall, with HL 6 in Chemistry and Biology
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 in a Bachelor's degree in a related or core science subject. UCAT still required.
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 1 or 2 required for 2026 entry
UCAT notes	UCAT contributes 40% of selection. Personal statement requirements posted on the Aberdeen website.	There is no UCAT reduction for Access applicants. An SJT of Band 1 or 2 is expected for 2026 entry.

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	Year 1
Placement geography	-	Sheffield and the surrounding region
Named placement sites	-	-
Intercalation	-	-
Course highlight	Only 20 places are available each year.	The Dental Practice Unit is set up as a general practice, where students work in their own surgery with the close support of a nurse and minimal supervision.

Interview window	Spring	20–27 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…	MMI format with stations covering motivation for dentistry, ethical reasoning, communication and personal qualities. Topics for each station often signposted on the admissions website.

Specialities	Graduate Entry Dentistry (BDS)	Dentistry (BDS)
Established	1495	1898
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…	All applicants must be SJT band 1 or 2 for 2026 entry. Applicants clearing the academic and UCAT criteria are then ranked on UCAT score, so the effective bar sits well up the national distribution and…
Official course page	https://www.abdn.ac.uk/dental/study/bds/	https://sheffield.ac.uk/dentalschool

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

Sheffield

Quick comparison

Location: Sheffield, UK
A-Level offer: AAA at A-level (offer and prediction) including Chemistry and Biology, plus a pass in the practical element of any science A-levels taken
TrueScore: Sheffield TrueScore 2050
UCAT home cut-off: Sheffield does not publish a dentistry UCAT cut-off. Applicants who clear the academic and UCAT criteria are ranked on UCAT score, so the effective bar moves each cycle with the strength of the field.
Interview format: Semi-structured face-to-face 15 min in-person panel + group task (Feb 20–27)
Post-interview chance: Home applicants: 132/317 = 42% (2024). International: 4/11 = 36%. Typically ~130 offers and ~350 interviews.
Decision date: March onwards

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) vs Sheffield - 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.

Sheffield requires AAA at A-level (offer and prediction) including Chemistry and Biology, plus a pass in the practical element of any science A-levels taken.

GCSE profile matters at both schools — Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry): No specific GCSE requirements published — competence demonstrated via the degree. Sheffield: Six GCSEs at grade 7/A including English Language, Mathematics, and Science (Chemistry and Biology, or Dual Science). "One or two B/6 grades consider applying once you have achieved your A-levels"…

Interview formats

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) uses MMI (90-minute MMI; offers made on interview performance only); Sheffield uses Panel (Semi-structured face-to-face 15 min in-person panel + group task (Feb 20–27)). 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, Sheffield 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; Sheffield in 20–27 February.

Curriculum and teaching style

Both schools deliver a PBL-style curriculum, so day-to-day study habits will feel similar across years 1-3.

Specifics: Four-year accelerated graduate-entry BDS. Aberdeen-based with clinical placements across NHS Grampian and remote/rural Scotland. Five-year BDS with PBL. Clinical placements at Charles Clifford Dental Hospital and Yorkshire community sites.

Intake size: Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) — ~30-40 places per year (small graduate-entry cohort).; Sheffield — ~75 home + ~15 international places per year for BDS Dentistry.. 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. Sheffield: Home applicants: 132/317 = 42% (2024). International: 4/11 = 36%. Typically ~130 offers and ~350 interviews.

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.

Sheffield: All applicants must be SJT band 1 or 2 for 2026 entry. Applicants clearing the academic and UCAT criteria are then ranked on UCAT score, so the effective bar sits well up the national distribution and moves each cycle - Sheffield does not publish a figure. Tighter SJT and UCAT requirements than at most other dental schools.

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; Sheffield into the England 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

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+. Sheffield guidance: Sheffield does not publish a dentistry UCAT cut-off. Applicants who clear the academic and UCAT criteria are ranked on UCAT score, so the effective bar moves each cycle with the strength of the field..

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) uses Multiple Mini Interviews: 90-minute MMI; offers made on interview performance only. Sheffield uses Panel interview: Semi-structured face-to-face 15 min in-person panel + group task (Feb 20–27). 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)); 20–27 February (Sheffield).

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) requires 2:1 in biosciences or allied healthcare profession. UK applicants only. A-levels not used.. Sheffield requires AAA prediction and offer. Must include chemistry and biology. Resit accepted with achieved BBB on first sitting, else apply with achieved results.. 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.. Sheffield — Resits accepted: only subjects that don't meet requirements may be re-sat, only one resit, all in same sitting..

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) — No specific GCSE requirements published — competence demonstrated via the degree. Sheffield — Six GCSEs at grade 7/A including English Language, Mathematics, and Science (Chemistry and Biology, or Dual Science). "One or two B/6 grades consider applying once you have achieved your A-levels" (2026 open day). Used as minimum threshold only — once met, shortlisting is solely by UCAT (top 25 percentile required)

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry)'s selection methodology: UCAT + degree class + interview. Aberdeen's distinctive remote/rural placement strand applies. Sheffield's selection methodology: Once GCSE minimums met, shortlisting is solely by UCAT. Sheffield BDS uses similar selection algorithm to Sheffield medicine. 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.. Sheffield: Home applicants: 132/317 = 42% (2024). International: 4/11 = 36%. Typically ~130 offers and ~350 interviews.. 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. Sheffield runs a PBL curriculum. Both schools deliver teaching in the same broad style, so day-to-day study habits will feel similar. Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) specifics: Four-year accelerated graduate-entry BDS. Aberdeen-based with clinical placements across NHS Grampian and remote/rural Scotland. Sheffield specifics: Five-year BDS with PBL. Clinical placements at Charles Clifford Dental Hospital and Yorkshire 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

SheffieldEntry 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 Sheffield

Side-by-side comparison

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) vs Sheffield - 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 Sheffield?

How do interviews differ between Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) and Sheffield?

What A-Level grades do Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) and Sheffield require?

How are GCSEs weighted at Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) vs Sheffield?

How does each school actually shortlist applicants?

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

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

When does each school release decisions?

What curriculum style do Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) and Sheffield use?

Should I apply to both Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) and Sheffield?

Where to go next

Other dental school comparisons