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Dental school comparison

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) vs UCLan (Graduate Dentistry)

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) and UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) 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 UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) sits in Preston (England), and the regional context shapes everything from fee status to NHS-deanery destination.

Their UCAT thresholds are remarkably close (within ~10 points), so the deciding factors are GCSE weighting, interview format and personal-statement use. Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) is the older institution (founded 1495); the other (founded 1828) 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
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

UCLan (Graduate Dentistry)

Preston

Quick comparison

Location
Preston, UK
A-Level offer
CCC at A-level minimum (in addition to degree) including 2 of Biology / Physics / Chemistry / Mathematics
TrueScore
UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) TrueScore 1810
UCAT home cut-off
Lowest UCAT score for 2025 entry: ~1810+ /2700
Interview format
MMI for both UK and international applicants
Post-interview chance
38/120 = 32% (2025).
Decision date
Spring

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) vs UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) - in detail

UCAT thresholds compared

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry)'s published UCAT threshold for home applicants is around 1820, while UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) sits at approximately 1810.

Their UCAT bars are statistically indistinguishable (within 10 points), so the UCAT is unlikely to be your differentiator between them.

A-Level and academic profile

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

UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) requires CCC at A-level minimum (in addition to degree) including 2 of Biology / Physics / Chemistry / Mathematics.

GCSE profile matters at both schools — Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry): No specific GCSE requirements published — competence demonstrated via the degree. UCLan (Graduate Dentistry): GCSE English Language and Mathematics at grade 6/B or above.

Interview formats

Both Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) and UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) 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; UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) runs mmi for both uk and international applicants. Mock practice tailored to each school's exact format is the highest-leverage prep.

Interview windows: Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) interviews in Spring; UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) in Spring.

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. Four-year accelerated graduate-entry BDS. Preston-based with clinical placements across Lancashire NHS sites.

Intake size: Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) — ~30-40 places per year (small graduate-entry cohort); UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) — ~30-50 places per year (small graduate-entry cohort). 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. UCLan (Graduate Dentistry): 38/120 = 32% (2025).

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.

UCLan (Graduate Dentistry): Both UK and international applicants accepted - only one offer made each year to an international applicant. 2025: 353 applicants, 120 interviews, 38 offers (32%). Personal statements no longer used.

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; UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) 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

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry)'s typical home cut-off is around 1820, while UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) sits at approximately 1810 — a 10-point spread (figures on record for 2027-entry applicants). The spread is small enough that other factors (GCSE weighting, interview score, contextual flags) usually dominate the firm/insurance decision. Cut-offs change year on year and vary by tier — check each school's latest published threshold before submitting your UCAS form.

Where to go next

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

Other dental school comparisons

School data reviewed by the NextGen MedPrep editorial team.