Where are Glasgow and King's College London (KCL) located, and how does that affect cost?

Glasgow is in Glasgow, UK. King's College London (KCL) is in London, 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?

Glasgow typically releases dentistry decisions March onwards. King's College London (KCL) 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

Glasgow vs King's College London (KCL)

Glasgow and King's College London (KCL) are both UK dental schools, but the path to an offer at each is meaningfully different. Glasgow is based in Glasgow (Scotland) while King's College London (KCL) sits in London (London), and the regional context shapes everything from fee status to NHS-deanery destination.

On UCAT alone there is roughly a 1750-point gap between them — a substantial difference that should shape which you list as firm choice vs. insurance. Their A-Level requirements (AAA vs A*AA) place them in slightly different academic-strictness tiers. The interview formats diverge — MMI vs Panel — and the prep approaches for the two are fundamentally different.

Side-by-side comparison

Show only differences

Side-by-side comparison: Glasgow and King's College London (KCL).
Comparison field	GlasgowGlasgow	King's College London (KCL)London
Quick comparison
Location	Glasgow, UK	London, UK
A-Level offer	AAA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology. Resits only with genuine extenuating circumstances.	AAA at A-level — A in Biology or Chemistry, plus A in another of Biology / Chemistry / Physics / Mathematics / Psychology
TrueScore	Glasgow TrueScore 1920	King's College London (KCL) TrueScore 2050
UCAT home cut-off	~1850+ RUK; Scottish ~1810+	No threshold published. King's does not release its dentistry UCAT cut-off, and its published admissions statistics run on the retired /3600 scale, so they cannot be restated on the current /2700 one.
Interview format	Multiple Mini Interview (MMI)	Two-interviewer panel, remote (no longer 6-station MMI)
Post-interview chance	Scottish: 76/108 = 70%. RUK: 42/70 = 60%. International: 22/27 = 81%.	Non-contextual home students without degree: 98/171 = 57% (2025). Overall 2025: 175/350 = 50%.
Decision date	March onwards	March onwards

A-Level offer	AAA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology. Resits only with genuine extenuating circumstances.	AAA at A-level — A in Biology or Chemistry, plus A in another of Biology / Chemistry / Physics / Mathematics / Psychology
Contextual A-Level offer	-	-
Required A-Level subjects	Chemistry and Biology both required at grade A	Biology or Chemistry at grade A*, plus another of Biology / Chemistry / Physics / Mathematics / Psychology at grade A
A-Level resit policy	Resits considered with extenuating circumstances only.	Resits accepted for applicants resitting their Level 3 qualifications for the first time. Second resits only with mitigating circumstances.
GCSE requirements	Six GCSEs at grade 7/A including Mathematics or Physics, plus English Language or English Literature. English accepted at grade 6/B if the other six are at grade 7+.	Minimum grade 6/B (National 5 grade B or Intermediate 2 / Standard Credit Grade 1 or 2) in Mathematics and English Language. 8+ grade 8/9s typically required to be competitive.
GCSE scoring methodology	-	GCSE = ~40% of pre-interview score: 8+ grade 8/9s = 40/40, 7s = 30, 6s = 20, 5s = 10. A grades may be counted as A* for applicants from lower-performing schools.
Scottish Highers	AAAAB at Higher with Biology and Chemistry at grade A, plus Higher Mathematics or Physics, and National 5 English at grade B.	Three Scottish Highers in combination with two Advanced Highers (no subject counted at both Higher and Advanced Higher levels)
Scottish Advanced Highers	BB at Advanced Higher; three subjects in S6 must include Advanced Higher Biology and Chemistry.	A at Advanced Higher Biology or Chemistry, plus A at an additional Advanced Higher in one of Biology / Chemistry / Mathematics / Physics / Psychology
International Baccalaureate	36 points overall with 6,6,6 at Higher Level including Chemistry and Biology, plus Mathematics or Physics at Higher Level (Standard Level 6 considered if HL is not possible).	38 points overall (including TOK/EE), with HL 6 in Chemistry or Biology, plus HL 6 in one of Biology / Chemistry / Mathematics / Physics / Psychology. Either Maths Analysis & Approaches or Applications & Interpretation accepted.
Graduate-entry degree requirement	-	2:1 (Upper-second-class Honours) or above. An accelerated 4-year Graduate/Professional Entry Dentistry programme is available. The lowest UCAT invited that King's has published for this route (2,330 for 2024 entry) was measured on the retired /3600 four-subtest test and has no equivalent on the current /2700 scale.
Alternative qualifications	-	-

Contextual cut-off	-	-
Scottish (where applicable)	~1920+ /2700	-
Rest of UK (where applicable)	~1970+ /2700	-
International cut-off	~1920+ /2700	A target of around 15 overseas places.
Graduate cut-off	-	-
SJT band	No use of SJT in selection	Band 1 ideal; band 4 appears to be automatically rejected. SJT contributes ~5% of scoring.
UCAT notes	No SJT use. 2025 data not until December.	King's has declined to publish the exact weightings it applies. Any precise UCAT/GCSE/SJT formula quoted for King's dentistry is inferred from Freedom of Information responses rather than published po…

Degree awarded	BDS	BDS
Course length	5 years	5 years
Teaching style	Integrated	Integrated
Anatomy teaching	-	-
First patient contact	Year 2	-
Placement geography	Glasgow and the west of Scotland	London
Named placement sites	Glasgow Dental Hospital & School	Guy's Hospital, St Thomas' Hospital, King's College Hospital
Intercalation	-	Opportunity to intercalate a BSc.
Course highlight	A mandatory elective study period includes international options.	The largest dental school in the UK, graduating around 150 dentists a year.

Interview window	December – February	January – February
Interview details	Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) circuit. Personal statement and reference must meet minimum requirements for shortlisting; stations probe motivation, ethics and reflection.	Two-interviewer panel format conducted remotely. Tests communication skills while exploring general health-related social and ethical issues. Many questions overlap with the SJT-style scenarios. Build…

Specialities	Dentistry (BDS)	Dentistry (BDS), Graduate Entry Dentistry (4-year), Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery (3-year, post-FY2)
Established	1879	1829
Course type	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
What makes it different	Wholly UCAT-based shortlisting once minimum PS and reference requirements are met. Personal statement is reviewed prior to offer-making but not formally scored.	Combined scoring: ~45% UCAT + 5% SJT + 40% GCSE + 10% contextual factors (FOI-derived; subject to change). 8+ grade 8/9s at GCSE typically required. SJT band 4 appears to be automatically rejected. Al…
Official course page	https://www.gla.ac.uk/undergraduate/degrees/dentistry/	https://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/dentistry-bds

Glasgow

Quick comparison

Location: Glasgow, UK
A-Level offer: AAA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology. Resits only with genuine extenuating circumstances.
TrueScore: Glasgow TrueScore 1920
UCAT home cut-off: ~1850+ RUK; Scottish ~1810+
Interview format: Multiple Mini Interview (MMI)
Post-interview chance: Scottish: 76/108 = 70%. RUK: 42/70 = 60%. International: 22/27 = 81%.
Decision date: March onwards

King's College London (KCL)

London

Quick comparison

Location: London, UK
A-Level offer: A*AA at A-level — A* in Biology or Chemistry, plus A in another of Biology / Chemistry / Physics / Mathematics / Psychology
TrueScore: King's College London (KCL) TrueScore 2050
UCAT home cut-off: No threshold published. King's does not release its dentistry UCAT cut-off, and its published admissions statistics run on the retired /3600 scale, so they cannot be restated on the current /2700 one.
Interview format: Two-interviewer panel, remote (no longer 6-station MMI)
Post-interview chance: Non-contextual home students without degree: 98/171 = 57% (2025). Overall 2025: 175/350 = 50%.
Decision date: March onwards

Glasgow vs King's College London (KCL) - in detail

UCAT thresholds compared

Glasgow's published UCAT threshold for home applicants is around 1850, while King's College London (KCL) sits at approximately 3600.

That's a 1750-point gap — large enough to put the two schools in completely different competitiveness tiers. An applicant scoring in the 2400-3000 band would be competitive at Glasgow but borderline at King's College London (KCL).

A-Level and academic profile

Glasgow requires AAA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology. Resits only with genuine extenuating circumstances.

King's College London (KCL) requires A*AA at A-level — A* in Biology or Chemistry, plus A in another of Biology / Chemistry / Physics / Mathematics / Psychology.

King's College London (KCL) is the stricter A-Level offer; Glasgow is slightly more forgiving. If your predicted grades are borderline, Glasgow carries the lower academic-rejection risk pre-interview.

GCSE profile matters at both schools — Glasgow: Six GCSEs at grade 7/A including Mathematics or Physics, plus English Language or English Literature. English accepted at grade 6/B if the other six are at grade 7+.

King's College London (KCL): Minimum grade 6/B (National 5 grade B or Intermediate 2 / Standard Credit Grade 1 or 2) in Mathematics and English Language. 8+ grade 8/9s typically required to be competitive. GCSE = ~40% of…

Interview formats

Glasgow uses MMI (Multiple Mini Interview (MMI)); King's College London (KCL) uses Panel (Two-interviewer panel, remote (no longer 6-station MMI)). 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, King's College London (KCL) may suit you more. If you prefer discrete capsule answers under time pressure, Glasgow is the better fit.

Interview windows: Glasgow interviews in December – February; King's College London (KCL) in January – February.

Post-interview offer rate

Glasgow: Scottish: 76/108 = 70%. RUK: 42/70 = 60%. International: 22/27 = 81%. King's College London (KCL): Non-contextual home students without degree: 98/171 = 57% (2025). Overall 2025: 175/350 = 50%.

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

Glasgow: Wholly UCAT-based shortlisting once minimum PS and reference requirements are met. Personal statement is reviewed prior to offer-making but not formally scored.

King's College London (KCL): Combined scoring: ~45% UCAT + 5% SJT + 40% GCSE + 10% contextual factors (FOI-derived; subject to change). 8+ grade 8/9s at GCSE typically required. SJT band 4 appears to be automatically rejected. Also runs a 4-year and 3-year graduate-entry programme (see Graduate Entry section).

Which is right for you?

If your UCAT lands below the UK median (~1880/2700), Glasgow is the more realistic firm-choice option. For applicants with predicted A-Level grades at the lower end of the AAA-A*AA range, Glasgow is the lower-risk academic option.

Regionally, the choice often comes down to cost of living and NHS-deanery preferences — Glasgow feeds into the Scotland foundation programme network; King's College London (KCL) into the London 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

Glasgow's typical home cut-off is around 1850, while King's College London (KCL) sits at approximately 3600 — a 1750-point spread. That's a meaningful gap; Glasgow is materially more accessible for an average-to-good UCAT, while King's College London (KCL) expects performance closer to the top -33% 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.

Glasgow uses Multiple Mini Interviews: Multiple Mini Interview (MMI). King's College London (KCL) uses Panel interview: Two-interviewer panel, remote (no longer 6-station MMI). 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: December – February (Glasgow); January – February (King's College London (KCL)).

Glasgow requires AAA including chemistry and biology. Resit only with genuine extenuating circumstances.. King's College London (KCL) requires A*AA - A* in biology or chemistry, plus A in another of biology/chemistry/physics/maths/psychology. Resit considered for first-time L3 resitters. Second resits only with mitigating circumstances.. Most successful applicants achieve these grades on first sitting with strong predicted grades from their school.

Glasgow — Six GCSEs at grade 7/A including Mathematics or Physics, plus English Language or English Literature. English accepted at grade 6/B if the other six are at grade 7+. King's College London (KCL) — Minimum grade 6/B (National 5 grade B or Intermediate 2 / Standard Credit Grade 1 or 2) in Mathematics and English Language. 8+ grade 8/9s typically required to be competitive. GCSE = ~40% of pre-interview score: 8+ grade 8/9s = 40/40, 7s = 30, 6s = 20, 5s = 10. A grades may be counted as A* for applicants from lower-performing schools.

Glasgow's selection methodology: UCAT + academic + MMI. Strong Scottish + RUK focus. Personal statement reviewed but not scored. King's College London (KCL)'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.

Glasgow: Scottish: 76/108 = 70%. RUK: 42/70 = 60%. International: 22/27 = 81%.. King's College London (KCL): Non-contextual home students without degree: 98/171 = 57% (2025). Overall 2025: 175/350 = 50%.. 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%.

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

GlasgowEntry requirements, interview format and key dates in full

King's College London (KCL)Entry 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.

Glasgow vs King's College London (KCL)

Side-by-side comparison

Glasgow vs King's College London (KCL) - in detail

UCAT thresholds compared

A-Level and academic profile

Interview formats

Post-interview offer rate

What makes each distinctive

Which is right for you?

Common questions

What UCAT score do I need for Glasgow vs King's College London (KCL)?

How do interviews differ between Glasgow and King's College London (KCL)?

What A-Level grades do Glasgow and King's College London (KCL) require?

How are GCSEs weighted at Glasgow vs King's College London (KCL)?

How does each school actually shortlist applicants?

Which has a higher post-interview offer rate, Glasgow or King's College London (KCL)?

Where are Glasgow and King's College London (KCL) located, and how does that affect cost?

When does each school release decisions?

Should I apply to both Glasgow and King's College London (KCL)?

Where to go next

Other dental school comparisons