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Dental school comparison

Cardiff vs UCLan (Graduate Dentistry)

Cardiff and UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) are both UK dental schools, but the path to an offer at each is meaningfully different. Cardiff is based in Cardiff (Wales) 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 ~55 points), so the deciding factors are GCSE weighting, interview format and personal-statement use. Their A-Level requirements (AAA vs 2:1) place them in slightly different academic-strictness tiers.

Side-by-side comparison

Cardiff

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
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

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
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
Compare different schools

Cardiff vs UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) - in detail

UCAT thresholds compared

Cardiff's published UCAT threshold for home applicants is around 2080, while UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) sits at approximately 2025. Their UCAT bars are statistically indistinguishable (within 55 points), so the UCAT is unlikely to be your differentiator between them.

A-Level and academic profile

Cardiff requires AAA including biology or chemistry. No prediction requirement. A-level resits not considered except for firm offer-holders who miss offers.. UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) requires 2:1 in biomedical discipline. GCSE English and maths grade B. CCC at A-level including 2 from biology/physics/chemistry/maths.. Cardiff is the stricter A-Level offer; UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) is slightly more forgiving. If your predicted grades are borderline, UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) carries the lower academic-rejection risk pre-interview. GCSE profile matters at both schools — Cardiff: AAA including Chemistry and Biology. Strong GCSE profile. UCLan (Graduate Dentistry): Not applicable - graduate-entry programme. Requires a 2:1 honours degree.

Interview formats

Both Cardiff 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: Cardiff runs multiple mini interviews (mmi), in person (overseas online); 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: Cardiff interviews in February; UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) in Spring.

Curriculum and teaching style

Cardiff runs a Case-based curriculum; UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) runs a PBL curriculum. The teaching philosophies are different — Cardiff leans on small-group case-based learning from year 1, while UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) centres learning around clinical cases. Specifics: Five-year BDS with case-based learning. Clinical placements at Cardiff University Dental Hospital and South Wales community sites. Four-year accelerated graduate-entry BDS. Preston-based with clinical placements across Lancashire NHS sites. Intake size: Cardiff — ~70 home + ~10 international places per year for BDS Dentistry.; 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

Cardiff: Total: 128/319 = 40% (2025). Home: 117/298 = 39%. International: 11/21 = 52%.. 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

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. 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?

For applicants with predicted A-Level grades at the lower end of the AAA-A*AA range, UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) is the lower-risk academic option. Regionally, the choice often comes down to cost of living and NHS-deanery preferences — Cardiff feeds into the Wales foundation programme network; UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) 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

Cardiff's typical home cut-off is around 2080, while UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) sits at approximately 2025 — a 55-point spread. 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.

Cardiff uses Multiple Mini Interviews: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI), in person (overseas online). UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) uses Multiple Mini Interviews: MMI for both UK and international applicants. 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); Spring (UCLan (Graduate Dentistry)).

Cardiff requires AAA including biology or chemistry. No prediction requirement. A-level resits not considered except for firm offer-holders who miss offers.. UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) requires 2:1 in biomedical discipline. GCSE English and maths grade B. CCC at A-level including 2 from biology/physics/chemistry/maths.. 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.. UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) — Not applicable to graduate entry..

Cardiff — AAA including Chemistry and Biology. Strong GCSE profile. UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) — Not applicable - graduate-entry programme. Requires a 2:1 honours degree.

Cardiff's selection methodology: GCSE points + A-Level achievement points + UCAT. MMI interview format. UCLan (Graduate Dentistry)'s selection methodology: UCAT + degree class + interview. Strong North-West regional 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.

Cardiff: Total: 128/319 = 40% (2025). Home: 117/298 = 39%. International: 11/21 = 52%.. UCLan (Graduate Dentistry): 38/120 = 32% (2025).. 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 is in Cardiff, UK. UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) is in Preston, 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).

Cardiff typically releases dentistry decisions Spring. UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) 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.

Cardiff runs a Case-based curriculum. UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) runs a PBL 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. UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) specifics: Four-year accelerated graduate-entry BDS. Preston-based with clinical placements across Lancashire NHS 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.