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

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

King's College London (KCL) and Sheffield 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 Sheffield sits in Sheffield (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.

Side-by-side comparison

Show only differences

Side-by-side comparison: King's College London (KCL) and Sheffield.
Comparison field	King's College London (KCL)London	SheffieldSheffield
Quick comparison
Location	London, UK	Sheffield, 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, plus a pass in the practical element of any science A-levels taken
TrueScore	King's College London (KCL) TrueScore 2050	Sheffield 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.	Sheffield does not publish a dentistry UCAT cut-off. Applicants who clear the academic and UCAT criteria are ranked on UCAT score, so the effective bar moves each cycle with the strength of the field.
Interview format	Two-interviewer panel, remote (no longer 6-station MMI)	Semi-structured face-to-face 15 min in-person panel + group task (Feb 20–27)
Post-interview chance	Non-contextual home students without degree: 98/171 = 57% (2025). Overall 2025: 175/350 = 50%.	Home applicants: 132/317 = 42% (2024). International: 4/11 = 36%. Typically ~130 offers and ~350 interviews.
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, plus a pass in the practical element of any science A-levels taken
Contextual A-Level offer	-	AAB at A-level for Access Sheffield (widening-access) applicants — including Chemistry and Biology with practical-element pass
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.	Resits accepted: must have achieved BBB on first sitting, otherwise can only apply with achieved results
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.	Six GCSEs at grade 7/A including English Language, Mathematics, and Science (Chemistry and Biology, or Dual Science). "One or two B/6 grades consider applying once you have achieved your A-levels" (2026 open day).
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 as minimum threshold only — once met, shortlisting is solely by UCAT (top 25 percentile required)
Scottish Highers	Three Scottish Highers in combination with two Advanced Highers (no subject counted at both Higher and Advanced Higher levels)	AAABB at Higher (five Highers 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 in 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, with HL 6 in 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.	2:1 (Upper-second-class Honours) or above in a Bachelor's degree in a related or core science subject. UCAT still required.
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 1 or 2 required for 2026 entry
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…	There is no UCAT reduction for Access applicants. An SJT of Band 1 or 2 is expected for 2026 entry.

Degree awarded	BDS	BDS
Course length	5 years	5 years
Teaching style	Integrated	Integrated
Anatomy teaching	-	-
First patient contact	-	Year 1
Placement geography	London	Sheffield and the surrounding region
Named placement sites	Guy's Hospital, St Thomas' Hospital, King's College Hospital	-
Intercalation	Opportunity to intercalate a BSc.	-
Course highlight	The largest dental school in the UK, graduating around 150 dentists a year.	The Dental Practice Unit is set up as a general practice, where students work in their own surgery with the close support of a nurse and minimal supervision.

Interview window	January – February	20–27 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…	MMI format with stations covering motivation for dentistry, ethical reasoning, communication and personal qualities. Topics for each station often signposted on the admissions website.

Specialities	Dentistry (BDS), Graduate Entry Dentistry (4-year), Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery (3-year, post-FY2)	Dentistry (BDS)
Established	1829	1898
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…	All applicants must be SJT band 1 or 2 for 2026 entry. Applicants clearing the academic and UCAT criteria are then ranked on UCAT score, so the effective bar sits well up the national distribution and…
Official course page	https://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/dentistry-bds	https://sheffield.ac.uk/dentalschool

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

Sheffield

Quick comparison

Location: Sheffield, UK
A-Level offer: AAA at A-level (offer and prediction) including Chemistry and Biology, plus a pass in the practical element of any science A-levels taken
TrueScore: Sheffield TrueScore 2050
UCAT home cut-off: Sheffield does not publish a dentistry UCAT cut-off. Applicants who clear the academic and UCAT criteria are ranked on UCAT score, so the effective bar moves each cycle with the strength of the field.
Interview format: Semi-structured face-to-face 15 min in-person panel + group task (Feb 20–27)
Post-interview chance: Home applicants: 132/317 = 42% (2024). International: 4/11 = 36%. Typically ~130 offers and ~350 interviews.
Decision date: March onwards

King's College London (KCL) vs Sheffield - 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.

Sheffield requires AAA at A-level (offer and prediction) including Chemistry and Biology, plus a pass in the practical element of any science A-levels taken.

King's College London (KCL) is the stricter A-Level offer; Sheffield is slightly more forgiving. If your predicted grades are borderline, Sheffield 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… Sheffield: Six GCSEs at grade 7/A including English Language, Mathematics, and Science (Chemistry and Biology, or Dual Science). "One or two B/6 grades consider applying once you have achieved your A-levels"…

Interview formats

Both King's College London (KCL) and Sheffield use Panel 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: King's College London (KCL) runs two-interviewer panel, remote (no longer 6-station mmi); Sheffield runs semi-structured face-to-face 15 min in-person panel + group task (feb 20–27). Mock practice tailored to each school's exact format is the highest-leverage prep.

Interview windows: King's College London (KCL) interviews in January – February; Sheffield in 20–27 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%. Sheffield: Home applicants: 132/317 = 42% (2024). International: 4/11 = 36%. Typically ~130 offers and ~350 interviews.

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).

Sheffield: All applicants must be SJT band 1 or 2 for 2026 entry. Applicants clearing the academic and UCAT criteria are then ranked on UCAT score, so the effective bar sits well up the national distribution and moves each cycle - Sheffield does not publish a figure. Tighter SJT and UCAT requirements than at most other dental schools.

Which is right for you?

For applicants with predicted A-Level grades at the lower end of the AAA-A*AA range, Sheffield 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; Sheffield 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.. Sheffield guidance: Sheffield does not publish a dentistry UCAT cut-off. Applicants who clear the academic and UCAT criteria are ranked on UCAT score, so the effective bar moves each cycle with the strength of the field..

King's College London (KCL) uses Panel interview: Two-interviewer panel, remote (no longer 6-station MMI). Sheffield uses Panel interview: Semi-structured face-to-face 15 min in-person panel + group task (Feb 20–27). 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: January – February (King's College London (KCL)); 20–27 February (Sheffield).

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.. Sheffield requires AAA prediction and offer. Must include chemistry and biology. Resit accepted with achieved BBB on first sitting, else apply with achieved results.. 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. Sheffield — Six GCSEs at grade 7/A including English Language, Mathematics, and Science (Chemistry and Biology, or Dual Science). "One or two B/6 grades consider applying once you have achieved your A-levels" (2026 open day). Used as minimum threshold only — once met, shortlisting is solely by UCAT (top 25 percentile required)

King's College London (KCL)'s selection methodology: shortlisting weight not fully disclosed; check the official admissions page. Sheffield's selection methodology: Once GCSE minimums met, shortlisting is solely by UCAT. Sheffield BDS uses similar selection algorithm to Sheffield medicine. 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%.. Sheffield: Home applicants: 132/317 = 42% (2024). International: 4/11 = 36%. Typically ~130 offers and ~350 interviews.. 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

SheffieldEntry 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 Sheffield

Side-by-side comparison

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

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

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

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

How does each school actually shortlist applicants?

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

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

When does each school release decisions?

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

Where to go next

Other dental school comparisons