Where are Cardiff and Liverpool located, and how does that affect cost?

Cardiff is in Cardiff, UK. Liverpool is in Liverpool, UK. Tuition is £9,250/year at both for UK home applicants; the main cost difference is accommodation (London accommodation typically runs 30-50% above the national average).

When does each school release decisions?

Cardiff typically releases dentistry decisions Spring. Liverpool 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

Cardiff vs Liverpool

Cardiff and Liverpool are both UK dental schools, but the path to an offer at each is meaningfully different. Cardiff is based in Cardiff (Wales) while Liverpool sits in Liverpool (England), and the regional context shapes everything from fee status to NHS-deanery destination.

Side-by-side comparison

Show only differences

Side-by-side comparison: Cardiff and Liverpool.
Comparison field	CardiffCardiff	LiverpoolLiverpool
Quick comparison
Location	Cardiff, UK	Liverpool, UK
A-Level offer	AAA at A-level (offer only — no prediction requirement) including Biology and Chemistry. Practical pass required for any science A-level taken.	AAA at A-level (offer and prediction) including Chemistry and Biology — all three subjects taken at first sitting after two years of study
TrueScore	Cardiff TrueScore 1510	Liverpool TrueScore 1800
UCAT home cut-off	~2080+/2700 for non-contextual RUK (interview-receiver minimum ~1510+/2700); average interviewee ~2030+/2700	-
Interview format	Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI), in person (overseas online)	Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI), online
Post-interview chance	Total: 128/319 = 40% (2025). Home: 117/298 = 39%. International: 11/21 = 52%.	Non-widening participation (2024): 89/402 = 22%.
Decision date	Spring	March onwards

A-Level offer	AAA at A-level (offer only — no prediction requirement) including Biology and Chemistry. Practical pass required for any science A-level taken.	AAA at A-level (offer and prediction) including Chemistry and Biology — all three subjects taken at first sitting after two years of study
Contextual A-Level offer	Welsh-domiciled and contextually eligible applicants get additional consideration plus 2 extra points in the scoring system. Some widening-participation programmes receive guaranteed interviews.	Up to a two-grade reduction in entry requirements for eligible contextual / widening-participation applicants (ABB equivalent — assessed via personal circumstances)
Required A-Level subjects	Biology and Chemistry both required	Chemistry and Biology both required
A-Level resit policy	A-level resits not considered (2026 entry), except for firm offer-holders who miss offers — they are given one year to resit while retaining the offer	A-level resits not normally accepted. Only considered for applicants who narrowly fail academic criteria due to significant extenuating circumstances — would not consider an applicant who achieved less than BBB.
GCSE requirements	Minimum 7 GCSEs at grade 4/C or above. Grade 6/B required in English Language. Biology and Chemistry both required at GCSE level. GCSE resits accepted (English Language any time).	Minimum 8 GCSEs including at least 5 subjects at grade 7/A and 3 at grade 6/B. Grade 6/B required in English Language, Mathematics and Science (dual science or Biology). GCSE requirements must be in place at the time of application — no pending grades accepted.
GCSE scoring methodology	GCSEs scored /28: top 7 GCSEs (must include Biology + Chemistry) — 8/9/A* = 4 pts, 7/A = 3 pts, 6/B = 2 pts, 4/5 = 1 pt. Achieved A-level points add to max +1 (A* = 3, A = 2). 27–28/28 typically requi…	Used only as minimum threshold beyond meeting the floor — UCAT + SJT + non-academic information form drive the ranking
Scottish Highers	AAAAA at Higher including two sciences from Biology, Chemistry or Physics	AAAAA at Higher including Chemistry and Biology
Scottish Advanced Highers	AA at Advanced Higher including Biology and Chemistry	AA at Advanced Higher including Chemistry and Biology
International Baccalaureate	35 points overall, 766 at Higher Level (Chemistry required)	36 points overall, 666 at Higher Level including Chemistry and Biology
Graduate-entry degree requirement	-	-
Alternative qualifications	-	-

Contextual cut-off	-	-
Scottish (where applicable)	-	-
Rest of UK (where applicable)	-	-
International cut-off	Different scoring system for overseas	-
Graduate cut-off	-	-
SJT band	Not used any more	Band 4 automatically rejected. Band 1 or 2 ideal.
UCAT notes	UCAT used as tiebreaker when number of equally-scoring applicants exceeds interview places (most recent years). 28/28 GCSE score generally guarantees consideration regardless of UCAT.	Liverpool School of Dentistry states it has NO set UCAT cut-off. Scores are considered alongside the non-academic information form and academic attainment, so no threshold should be inferred or estima…

Degree awarded	BDS	BDS
Course length	5 years	5 years
Teaching style	Integrated	Enquiry-based learning
Anatomy teaching	-	-
First patient contact	Year 2	Year 1
Placement geography	Cardiff and across Wales	Liverpool and Merseyside
Named placement sites	University Dental Hospital	Aintree University Hospital (oral and maxillofacial surgery), Alder Hey Children's Hospital (paediatric dentistry)
Intercalation	-	-
Course highlight	Clinical skills are practised in a £2.2 million dental simulation suite on mannequins known as "phantom heads".	Students share a three-year Collaborative Learning Core with dental therapy students.

Interview window	February	December – February
Interview details	MMI format with stations testing motivation for dentistry, communication, ethics and understanding of the Welsh healthcare context. Topics often signposted in advance.	Long MMI lasting over an hour with 10–12 stations. Format demands quick thinking and ability to adapt, as each new station is a fresh scenario. Sample questions: "How would you explain the importance…

Specialities	Dentistry (BDS)	Dentistry (BDS)
Established	1883	1903
Course type	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
What makes it different	Application score calculated /28 from 7 GCSEs (8/9/A* = 4 pts, etc.) - must include biology and chemistry. Welsh-domiciled and contextually eligible applicants get extra consideration.	No set UCAT cut-off - UCAT considered alongside non-academic information form (sent shortly after UCAS deadline, 2 weeks to complete). SJT band 4 is automatically rejected.
Official course page	https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/2026/dental-surgery-bds	https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/courses/2026/dental-surgery-bds

Cardiff

Quick comparison

Location: Cardiff, UK
A-Level offer: AAA at A-level (offer only — no prediction requirement) including Biology and Chemistry. Practical pass required for any science A-level taken.
TrueScore: Cardiff TrueScore 1510
UCAT home cut-off: ~2080+/2700 for non-contextual RUK (interview-receiver minimum ~1510+/2700); average interviewee ~2030+/2700
Interview format: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI), in person (overseas online)
Post-interview chance: Total: 128/319 = 40% (2025). Home: 117/298 = 39%. International: 11/21 = 52%.
Decision date: Spring

Liverpool

Quick comparison

Location: Liverpool, UK
A-Level offer: AAA at A-level (offer and prediction) including Chemistry and Biology — all three subjects taken at first sitting after two years of study
TrueScore: Liverpool TrueScore 1800
UCAT home cut-off: -
Interview format: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI), online
Post-interview chance: Non-widening participation (2024): 89/402 = 22%.
Decision date: March onwards

Cardiff vs Liverpool - in detail

A-Level and academic profile

Cardiff requires AAA at A-level (offer only — no prediction requirement) including Biology and Chemistry. Practical pass required for any science A-level taken.

Liverpool requires AAA at A-level (offer and prediction) including Chemistry and Biology — all three subjects taken at first sitting after two years of study.

Both demand the same A-Level grade band, so academic prediction is unlikely to differentiate your application between them — provided you meet the required subject combination at each.

GCSE profile matters at both schools — Cardiff: Minimum 7 GCSEs at grade 4/C or above. Grade 6/B required in English Language. Biology and Chemistry both required at GCSE level. GCSE resits accepted (English Language any time).

GCSEs scored /28… Liverpool: Minimum 8 GCSEs including at least 5 subjects at grade 7/A and 3 at grade 6/B. Grade 6/B required in English Language, Mathematics and Science (dual science or Biology). GCSE requirements must be in…

Interview formats

Both Cardiff and Liverpool 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: Cardiff runs multiple mini interviews (mmi), in person (overseas online); Liverpool runs multiple mini interviews (mmi), online. Mock practice tailored to each school's exact format is the highest-leverage prep.

Interview windows: Cardiff interviews in February; Liverpool in December – February.

Curriculum and teaching style

Cardiff runs a Case-based curriculum; Liverpool runs a Integrated curriculum. The teaching philosophies are different — Cardiff leans on small-group case-based learning from year 1, while Liverpool uses a more traditional lecture-led structure.

Specifics: Five-year BDS with case-based learning. Clinical placements at Cardiff University Dental Hospital and South Wales community sites. Five-year BDS. Clinical placements at Liverpool University Dental Hospital and Cheshire & Merseyside community sites.

Intake size: Cardiff — ~70 home + ~10 international places per year for BDS Dentistry.; Liverpool — ~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

Cardiff: Total: 128/319 = 40% (2025). Home: 117/298 = 39%. International: 11/21 = 52%. Liverpool: Non-widening participation (2024): 89/402 = 22%.

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

Cardiff: Application score calculated /28 from 7 GCSEs (8/9/A* = 4 pts, etc.) - must include biology and chemistry. Welsh-domiciled and contextually eligible applicants get extra consideration.

Liverpool: No set UCAT cut-off - UCAT considered alongside non-academic information form (sent shortly after UCAS deadline, 2 weeks to complete). SJT band 4 is automatically rejected.

Which is right for you?

Regionally, the choice often comes down to cost of living and NHS-deanery preferences — Cardiff feeds into the Wales foundation programme network; Liverpool into the England network. If you learn best in small-group case discussion, prefer Cardiff; 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. Cardiff guidance: ~2080+/2700 for non-contextual RUK (interview-receiver minimum ~1510+/2700); average interviewee ~2030+/2700. Liverpool guidance: Liverpool School of Dentistry states it has NO set UCAT cut-off. Scores are considered alongside the non-academic information form and academic attainment, so no threshold should be inferred or estimated..

Cardiff uses Multiple Mini Interviews: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI), in person (overseas online). Liverpool uses Multiple Mini Interviews: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI), online. 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: February (Cardiff); December – February (Liverpool).

Cardiff requires AAA including Biology AND Chemistry (both required), with a pass in the science practical element where applicable. No prediction requirement. A-level resits not considered except for firm offer-holders who miss offers.. Liverpool requires AAA prediction and offer. Must include biology and chemistry, all 3 subjects taken in one sitting. Contextual: ABB offer. A-level resits not normally accepted.. Most successful applicants achieve these grades on first sitting with strong predicted grades from their school. Resit policies differ: Cardiff — Resits considered case-by-case.. Liverpool — Resits accepted with explanation..

Cardiff — Minimum 7 GCSEs at grade 4/C or above. Grade 6/B required in English Language. Biology and Chemistry both required at GCSE level. GCSE resits accepted (English Language any time). GCSEs scored /28: top 7 GCSEs (must include Biology + Chemistry) — 8/9/A* = 4 pts, 7/A = 3 pts, 6/B = 2 pts, 4/5 = 1 pt. Achieved A-level points add to max +1 (A* = 3, A = 2). 27–28/28 typically required for RUK. Liverpool — Minimum 8 GCSEs including at least 5 subjects at grade 7/A and 3 at grade 6/B. Grade 6/B required in English Language, Mathematics and Science (dual science or Biology). GCSE requirements must be in place at the time of application — no pending grades accepted. Used only as minimum threshold beyond meeting the floor — UCAT + SJT + non-academic information form drive the ranking

Cardiff's selection methodology: GCSE points + A-Level achievement points + UCAT. MMI interview format. Liverpool's selection methodology: GCSE attainment plus UCAT, considered together with the non-academic information form, then MMI. There is no UCAT cut-off to clear - only the GCSE minimum operates as a hard gate. 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.

Cardiff: Total: 128/319 = 40% (2025). Home: 117/298 = 39%. International: 11/21 = 52%.. Liverpool: Non-widening participation (2024): 89/402 = 22%.. 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%.

Cardiff runs a Case-based curriculum. Liverpool runs a Integrated curriculum. The teaching philosophies differ — pick the style that matches how you learn best. Cardiff specifics: Five-year BDS with case-based learning. Clinical placements at Cardiff University Dental Hospital and South Wales community sites. Liverpool specifics: Five-year BDS. Clinical placements at Liverpool University Dental Hospital and Cheshire & Merseyside 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

CardiffEntry requirements, interview format and key dates in full

LiverpoolEntry 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.

Cardiff vs Liverpool

Side-by-side comparison

Cardiff vs Liverpool - 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 Cardiff vs Liverpool?

How do interviews differ between Cardiff and Liverpool?

What A-Level grades do Cardiff and Liverpool require?

How are GCSEs weighted at Cardiff vs Liverpool?

How does each school actually shortlist applicants?

Which has a higher post-interview offer rate, Cardiff or Liverpool?

Where are Cardiff and Liverpool located, and how does that affect cost?

When does each school release decisions?

What curriculum style do Cardiff and Liverpool use?

Should I apply to both Cardiff and Liverpool?

Where to go next

Other dental school comparisons