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

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

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

King's College London (KCL) vs Liverpool

King's College London (KCL) and Liverpool 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 Liverpool sits in Liverpool (England), and the regional context shapes everything from fee status to NHS-deanery destination.

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 Liverpool.
Comparison field	King's College London (KCL)London	LiverpoolLiverpool
Quick comparison
Location	London, UK	Liverpool, 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 (offer and prediction) including Chemistry and Biology — all three subjects taken at first sitting after two years of study
TrueScore	King's College London (KCL) TrueScore 2050	Liverpool TrueScore 1800
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)	Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI), online
Post-interview chance	Non-contextual home students without degree: 98/171 = 57% (2025). Overall 2025: 175/350 = 50%.	Non-widening participation (2024): 89/402 = 22%.
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 (offer and prediction) including Chemistry and Biology — all three subjects taken at first sitting after two years of study
Contextual A-Level offer	-	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 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.	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 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 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	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.	Used only as minimum threshold beyond meeting the floor — UCAT + SJT + non-academic information form drive the ranking
Scottish Highers	Three Scottish Highers in combination with two Advanced Highers (no subject counted at both Higher and Advanced Higher levels)	AAAAA at Higher including Chemistry and Biology
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 including Chemistry and Biology
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.	36 points overall, 666 at Higher Level including Chemistry and Biology
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)	-	-
Rest of UK (where applicable)	-	-
International cut-off	A target of around 15 overseas places.	-
Graduate cut-off	-	-
SJT band	Band 1 ideal; band 4 appears to be automatically rejected. SJT contributes ~5% of scoring.	Band 4 automatically rejected. Band 1 or 2 ideal.
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…	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 1
Placement geography	London	Liverpool and Merseyside
Named placement sites	Guy's Hospital, St Thomas' Hospital, King's College Hospital	Aintree University Hospital (oral and maxillofacial surgery), Alder Hey Children's Hospital (paediatric dentistry)
Intercalation	Opportunity to intercalate a BSc.	-
Course highlight	The largest dental school in the UK, graduating around 150 dentists a year.	Students share a three-year Collaborative Learning Core with dental therapy students.

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…	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), Graduate Entry Dentistry (4-year), Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery (3-year, post-FY2)	Dentistry (BDS)
Established	1829	1903
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…	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.kcl.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/dentistry-bds	https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/courses/2026/dental-surgery-bds

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

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

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

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.

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.

King's College London (KCL) is the stricter A-Level offer; Liverpool is slightly more forgiving. If your predicted grades are borderline, Liverpool 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… 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

King's College London (KCL) uses Panel (Two-interviewer panel, remote (no longer 6-station MMI)); Liverpool uses MMI (Multiple Mini Interviews (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, Liverpool is the better fit.

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

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).

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?

For applicants with predicted A-Level grades at the lower end of the AAA-A*AA range, Liverpool 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; Liverpool 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

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. King's College London (KCL) guidance: 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.. 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..

King's College London (KCL) uses Panel interview: Two-interviewer panel, remote (no longer 6-station MMI). Liverpool uses Multiple Mini Interviews: Multiple Mini Interviews (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 (Liverpool).

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.. 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.

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. 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

King's College London (KCL)'s selection methodology: shortlisting weight not fully disclosed; check the official admissions page. 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.

King's College London (KCL): Non-contextual home students without degree: 98/171 = 57% (2025). Overall 2025: 175/350 = 50%.. 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%.

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

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.

King's College London (KCL) vs Liverpool

Side-by-side comparison

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

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 Liverpool?

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

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

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

How does each school actually shortlist applicants?

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

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

When does each school release decisions?

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

Where to go next

Other dental school comparisons