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

King's College London (KCL) is in London, UK. Queen's University Belfast is in Belfast, 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. Queen's University Belfast 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 Queen's University Belfast

King's College London (KCL) and Queen's University Belfast 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 Queen's University Belfast sits in Belfast (Northern Ireland), and the regional context shapes everything from fee status to NHS-deanery destination.

On UCAT alone there is roughly a 1575-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 Queen's University Belfast.
Comparison field	King's College London (KCL)London	Queen's University BelfastBelfast
Quick comparison
Location	London, UK	Belfast, 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 (or Human Biology)
TrueScore	King's College London (KCL) TrueScore 2050	Queen's University Belfast TrueScore 1750
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.	School-leaver threshold 36+ points (out of 42) for 2025; 38, 37 needed in 2024, 2023 - translates approx to 5×9s + 4×8s + ~1850+/2700 UCAT. Equivalent ~36/45 also gets in 2026 cycle.
Interview format	Two-interviewer panel, remote (no longer 6-station MMI)	MMI / panel format
Post-interview chance	Non-contextual home students without degree: 98/171 = 57% (2025). Overall 2025: 175/350 = 50%.	All applicants (2024): 87/204 = 43%.
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 (or Human 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 (or Human 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.	Resits only for applicants who applied to QUB Dentistry on first attempt and held an offer (if made) as conditional firm — then awarded 36/36 on academics
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 9 GCSEs scored — best 9 GCSEs are used in shortlisting
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.	Best 9 GCSEs scored /36: A*/9 = 4 pts, A/7-8 = 3 pts, B/6 = 2 pts, C/4-5 = 1 pt. GCSE = 80% of pre-interview score (UCAT 20%). Half points for GCSE short courses. Additional grade As may distinguish e…
Scottish Highers	Three Scottish Highers in combination with two Advanced Highers (no subject counted at both Higher and Advanced Higher levels)	-
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	-
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	-	International applicants: no UCAT needed; assessed holistically (PS + reference + academic). 15 overseas places.

Contextual cut-off	-	Different combinations valid - very low deciles accepted with 9× grade 9s at GCSE
Scottish (where applicable)	-	-
Rest of UK (where applicable)	-	-
International cut-off	A target of around 15 overseas places.	No UCAT needed; assessed holistically. 15 overseas places.
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
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…	Old system: UCAT /6 (lower deciles = 0 pts; top decile = 6 pts). New: UCAT /9 by decile (≤10th = 0 pts, >90th = 9 pts). Half points for GCSE short courses. Additional A grades may distinguish equal sc…

Degree awarded	BDS	BDS
Course length	5 years	5 years
Teaching style	Integrated	Integrated
Anatomy teaching	-	-
First patient contact	-	Year 1
Placement geography	London	Belfast
Named placement sites	Guy's Hospital, St Thomas' Hospital, King's College Hospital	Royal Victoria Hospital, Grosvenor Road, Belfast
Intercalation	Opportunity to intercalate a BSc.	-
Course highlight	The largest dental school in the UK, graduating around 150 dentists a year.	-

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…	-

Specialities	Dentistry (BDS), Graduate Entry Dentistry (4-year), Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery (3-year, post-FY2)	Dentistry (BDS)
Established	1829	1845
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…	Scoring system changed: total now /45 (UCAT /9 not /6). UK students scored on UCAT decile + best 9 GCSEs (9 = 4 pts, 7/8 = 3 pts, 6 = 2 pts, 4/5 = 1 pt). Achieved A-levels meeting requirements = 36/36…
Official course page	https://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/dentistry-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

Queen's University Belfast

Belfast

Quick comparison

Location: Belfast, UK
A-Level offer: AAA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology (or Human Biology)
TrueScore: Queen's University Belfast TrueScore 1750
UCAT home cut-off: School-leaver threshold 36+ points (out of 42) for 2025; 38, 37 needed in 2024, 2023 - translates approx to 5×9s + 4×8s + ~1850+/2700 UCAT. Equivalent ~36/45 also gets in 2026 cycle.
Interview format: MMI / panel format
Post-interview chance: All applicants (2024): 87/204 = 43%.
Decision date: March onwards

King's College London (KCL) vs Queen's University Belfast - in detail

UCAT thresholds compared

King's College London (KCL)'s published UCAT threshold for home applicants is around 3600, while Queen's University Belfast sits at approximately 2025.

That's a 1575-point gap — large enough to put the two schools in completely different competitiveness tiers. An applicant scoring in the 2600-3100 band would be competitive at Queen's University Belfast but borderline at King's College London (KCL).

Contextual / widening-participation cut-offs differ — King's College London (KCL): not separately disclosed; Queen's University Belfast: Different combinations valid - very low deciles accepted with 9× grade 9s at GCSE. 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.

Queen's University Belfast requires AAA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology (or Human Biology).

King's College London (KCL) is the stricter A-Level offer; Queen's University Belfast is slightly more forgiving. If your predicted grades are borderline, Queen's University Belfast 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… Queen's University Belfast: Minimum 9 GCSEs scored — best 9 GCSEs are used in shortlisting.

Best 9 GCSEs scored /36: A*/9 = 4 pts, A/7-8 = 3 pts, B/6 = 2 pts, C/4-5 = 1 pt. GCSE = 80% of pre-interview score (UCAT 20%). Half…

Interview formats

King's College London (KCL) uses Panel (Two-interviewer panel, remote (no longer 6-station MMI)); Queen's University Belfast uses MMI (MMI / panel format). 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, Queen's University Belfast is the better fit.

Interview windows: King's College London (KCL) interviews in January – February; Queen's University Belfast 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%. Queen's University Belfast: All applicants (2024): 87/204 = 43%.

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).

Queen's University Belfast: Scoring system changed: total now /45 (UCAT /9 not /6). UK students scored on UCAT decile + best 9 GCSEs (9 = 4 pts, 7/8 = 3 pts, 6 = 2 pts, 4/5 = 1 pt). Achieved A-levels meeting requirements = 36/36. International students: no UCAT needed; assessed holistically. 15 overseas places.

Which is right for you?

If your UCAT lands below the UK median (~1880/2700), Queen's University Belfast is the more realistic firm-choice option. For applicants with predicted A-Level grades at the lower end of the AAA-A*AA range, Queen's University Belfast 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; Queen's University Belfast into the Northern Ireland 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 Queen's University Belfast sits at approximately 2025 — a 1575-point spread. That's a meaningful gap; Queen's University Belfast 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). Queen's University Belfast uses Multiple Mini Interviews: MMI / panel format. 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 (Queen's University Belfast).

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.. Queen's University Belfast requires AAA including chemistry and biology/human biology. Resit: only those who applied to QUB Dentistry on first attempt and held an offer (if made) as conditional firm - then awarded 36/36 on academics.. 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. Queen's University Belfast — Minimum 9 GCSEs scored — best 9 GCSEs are used in shortlisting. Best 9 GCSEs scored /36: A*/9 = 4 pts, A/7-8 = 3 pts, B/6 = 2 pts, C/4-5 = 1 pt. GCSE = 80% of pre-interview score (UCAT 20%). Half points for GCSE short courses. Additional grade As may distinguish equal scores.

King's College London (KCL): Non-contextual home students without degree: 98/171 = 57% (2025). Overall 2025: 175/350 = 50%.. Queen's University Belfast: All applicants (2024): 87/204 = 43%.. 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

Queen's University BelfastEntry 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.