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

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

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

King's College London (KCL) vs Leeds

King's College London (KCL) and Leeds are both UK dental schools, but the path to an offer at each is meaningfully different. King's College London (KCL) is based in London (London) while Leeds sits in Leeds (England), 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 (A*AA vs AAA) place them in slightly different academic-strictness tiers. The interview formats diverge — Panel vs MMI — and the prep approaches for the two are fundamentally different.

Side-by-side comparison

Show only differences

Side-by-side comparison: King's College London (KCL) and Leeds.
Comparison field	King's College London (KCL)London	LeedsLeeds
Quick comparison
Location	London, UK	Leeds, UK
A-Level offer	AAA at A-level — A in Biology or Chemistry, plus A in another of Biology / Chemistry / Physics / Mathematics / Psychology	AAA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology
TrueScore	King's College London (KCL) TrueScore 2050	Leeds TrueScore 1850
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.	~1850+/2700 minimum
Interview format	Two-interviewer panel, remote (no longer 6-station MMI)	Five-station MMI (online)
Post-interview chance	Non-contextual home students without degree: 98/171 = 57% (2025). Overall 2025: 175/350 = 50%.	All applicants (2025): 76/547 = 14% headline, but ~25% in reality (the 547 includes Dental Hygiene & Therapy applicants - likely ~400 dentistry interviews for 76 places + waitlist offers).
Decision date	March onwards	March onwards

A-Level offer	AAA at A-level — A in Biology or Chemistry, plus A in another of Biology / Chemistry / Physics / Mathematics / Psychology	AAA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology
Contextual A-Level offer	-	-
Required A-Level subjects	Biology or Chemistry at grade A*, plus another of Biology / Chemistry / Physics / Mathematics / Psychology at grade A	Chemistry and Biology both required
A-Level resit policy	Resits accepted for applicants resitting their Level 3 qualifications for the first time. Second resits only with mitigating circumstances.	One resit attempt at full A-levels accepted (unless mitigating circumstances allow further). Extenuating circumstances for resit candidates should be highlighted in the reference.
GCSE requirements	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.	Minimum 6 GCSEs (or National 5 at grade B) including English Language, Mathematics, Chemistry and Biology (or Dual Science). 8 grade 8/9s ideal — closer to Cardiff-style profile.
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.	GCSE forms part of total ranking score alongside achieved/predicted A-levels and UCAT. A high academic score can compensate for a lower UCAT, and vice versa. Personal statement is also scored.
Scottish Highers	Three Scottish Highers in combination with two Advanced Highers (no subject counted at both Higher and Advanced Higher levels)	Option (a) AABBB at Higher (with AA at Advanced Higher in Biology + Chemistry); option (b) AAABB at Higher with A in Chemistry or Biology (plus A at Advanced Higher in the other); or option (c) AAAAAA at Higher including Biology and Chemistry
Scottish Advanced Highers	A at Advanced Higher Biology or Chemistry, plus A at an additional Advanced Higher in one of Biology / Chemistry / Mathematics / Physics / Psychology	AA at Advanced Higher in Biology and Chemistry (option a); or A at Advanced Higher in Biology or Chemistry (option b combined with Higher specification)
International Baccalaureate	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.	35 points overall, including HL 6 in Chemistry and HL 6 in Biology plus a further Higher Level at grade 6. English required at Higher or Standard Level (grade 5 minimum if not at GCSE).
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.	2:1 (Upper-second-class Honours) or above in any honours degree. UCAT still required.
Alternative qualifications	-	-

Contextual cut-off	-	~1670+/2700
Scottish (where applicable)	-	-
Rest of UK (where applicable)	-	-
International cut-off	A target of around 15 overseas places.	~1690+/2700
Graduate cut-off	-	-
SJT band	Band 1 ideal; band 4 appears to be automatically rejected. SJT contributes ~5% of scoring.	No use of SJT in selection (academic + UCAT + PS scoring)
UCAT notes	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…	2024 thresholds were notably higher. Personal statement scored.

Degree awarded	BDS	BChD
Course length	5 years	5 years
Teaching style	Integrated	Integrated
Anatomy teaching	-	-
First patient contact	-	Year 1
Placement geography	London	Leeds, Bradford and Hull
Named placement sites	Guy's Hospital, St Thomas' Hospital, King's College Hospital	Leeds Dental Institute
Intercalation	Opportunity to intercalate a BSc.	-
Course highlight	The largest dental school in the UK, graduating around 150 dentists a year.	Clinical areas covered include restorative dentistry, oral surgery, children’s dentistry, oral radiography and radiology, and oral medicine.

Interview window	January – February	December – February
Interview details	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…	Five-station MMI format, currently virtual. Familiarity with key benefits and challenges of NHS dentistry expected, plus practising ethical scenarios and beyond a dentistry-specific context. Successfu…

Specialities	Dentistry (BDS), Graduate Entry Dentistry (4-year), Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery (3-year, post-FY2)	Dentistry (BDS)
Established	1829	1831
Course type	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
What makes it different	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…	Total score combines UCAT, academic record (achieved/predicted A-levels + GCSEs) and personal statement. Personal statement is also scored, so it is worth tailoring specifically for Leeds.
Official course page	https://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/dentistry-bds	https://courses.leeds.ac.uk/course-search/undergraduate-courses?query=dentistry

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

Leeds

Quick comparison

Location: Leeds, UK
A-Level offer: AAA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology
TrueScore: Leeds TrueScore 1850
UCAT home cut-off: ~1850+/2700 minimum
Interview format: Five-station MMI (online)
Post-interview chance: All applicants (2025): 76/547 = 14% headline, but ~25% in reality (the 547 includes Dental Hygiene & Therapy applicants - likely ~400 dentistry interviews for 76 places + waitlist offers).
Decision date: March onwards

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

UCAT thresholds compared

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

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 Leeds but borderline at King's College London (KCL).

Contextual / widening-participation cut-offs differ — King's College London (KCL): not separately disclosed; Leeds: ~1670+/2700. Eligible applicants should weight this heavily when choosing.

A-Level and academic profile

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.

Leeds requires AAA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology.

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

GCSE profile matters at both schools — 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… Leeds: Minimum 6 GCSEs (or National 5 at grade B) including English Language, Mathematics, Chemistry and Biology (or Dual Science). 8 grade 8/9s ideal — closer to Cardiff-style profile. GCSE forms part of…

Interview formats

King's College London (KCL) uses Panel (Two-interviewer panel, remote (no longer 6-station MMI)); Leeds uses MMI (Five-station MMI (online)). These two formats reward different skills — Panel emphasises narrative coherence and the ability to develop a thread under follow-up questioning, while MMI rewards breadth and quick recovery.

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, Leeds is the better fit.

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

Post-interview offer rate

King's College London (KCL): Non-contextual home students without degree: 98/171 = 57% (2025). Overall 2025: 175/350 = 50%. Leeds: All applicants (2025): 76/547 = 14% headline, but ~25% in reality (the 547 includes Dental Hygiene & Therapy applicants - likely ~400 dentistry interviews for 76 places + waitlist offers).

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

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).

Leeds: Total score combines UCAT, academic record (achieved/predicted A-levels + GCSEs) and personal statement. Personal statement is also scored, so it is worth tailoring specifically for Leeds.

Which is right for you?

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

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

King's College London (KCL)'s typical home cut-off is around 3600, while Leeds sits at approximately 1850 — a 1750-point spread. That's a meaningful gap; Leeds 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.

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

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.. Leeds requires AAA including chemistry and biology. One resit attempt accepted (full A-levels), unless mitigating circumstances. If re-sitting Level 3 qualifications, extenuating circumstances should be highlighted in the reference.. Most successful applicants achieve these grades on first sitting with strong predicted grades from their school.

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. Leeds — Minimum 6 GCSEs (or National 5 at grade B) including English Language, Mathematics, Chemistry and Biology (or Dual Science). 8 grade 8/9s ideal — closer to Cardiff-style profile. GCSE forms part of total ranking score alongside achieved/predicted A-levels and UCAT. A high academic score can compensate for a lower UCAT, and vice versa. Personal statement is also scored.

King's College London (KCL)'s selection methodology: shortlisting weight not fully disclosed; check the official admissions page. Leeds's selection methodology: Combined UCAT + GCSE + A-Level prediction score. MMI interview. 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.

King's College London (KCL): Non-contextual home students without degree: 98/171 = 57% (2025). Overall 2025: 175/350 = 50%.. Leeds: All applicants (2025): 76/547 = 14% headline, but ~25% in reality (the 547 includes Dental Hygiene & Therapy applicants - likely ~400 dentistry interviews for 76 places + waitlist offers).. 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

King's College London (KCL)Entry requirements, interview format and key dates in full

LeedsEntry 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.

King's College London (KCL) vs Leeds

Side-by-side comparison

King's College London (KCL) vs Leeds - 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 King's College London (KCL) vs Leeds?

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

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

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

How does each school actually shortlist applicants?

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

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

When does each school release decisions?

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

Where to go next

Other dental school comparisons