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

King's College London (KCL) is in London, UK. UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) is in Preston, 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. UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) releases dentistry decisions Spring. 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 UCLan (Graduate Dentistry)

King's College London (KCL) and UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) 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 UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) sits in Preston (England), 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 CCC) 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 UCLan (Graduate Dentistry).
Comparison field	King's College London (KCL)London	UCLan (Graduate Dentistry)Preston
Quick comparison
Location	London, UK	Preston, UK
A-Level offer	AAA at A-level — A in Biology or Chemistry, plus A in another of Biology / Chemistry / Physics / Mathematics / Psychology	CCC at A-level minimum (in addition to degree) including 2 of Biology / Physics / Chemistry / Mathematics
TrueScore	King's College London (KCL) TrueScore 2050	UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) TrueScore 1810
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.	Lowest UCAT score for 2025 entry: ~1810+ /2700
Interview format	Two-interviewer panel, remote (no longer 6-station MMI)	MMI for both UK and international applicants
Post-interview chance	Non-contextual home students without degree: 98/171 = 57% (2025). Overall 2025: 175/350 = 50%.	38/120 = 32% (2025).
Decision date	March onwards	Spring

A-Level offer	AAA at A-level — A in Biology or Chemistry, plus A in another of Biology / Chemistry / Physics / Mathematics / Psychology	CCC at A-level minimum (in addition to degree) including 2 of Biology / Physics / Chemistry / Mathematics
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	At least 2 of Biology / Physics / Chemistry / Mathematics
A-Level resit policy	Resits accepted for applicants resitting their Level 3 qualifications for the first time. Second resits only with mitigating circumstances.	Not applicable to graduate entry.
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.	GCSE English Language and Mathematics at grade 6/B or above
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	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.	-
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 Biomedical discipline. UK and international applicants accepted — only one offer per cycle goes to an international applicant.
Alternative qualifications	-	Personal statements no longer used in selection. UCAT + degree class + MMI drive the ranking.

Contextual cut-off	-	-
Scottish (where applicable)	-	-
Rest of UK (where applicable)	-	-
International cut-off	A target of around 15 overseas places.	~1810+ /2700 (same as home threshold; only 1 international offer per year)
Graduate cut-off	-	-
SJT band	Band 1 ideal; band 4 appears to be automatically rejected. SJT contributes ~5% of scoring.	Not specified - selection is UCAT + academic + interview
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…	Personal statements no longer used. Slight variation in stats across sources (32 vs 38 offers).

Degree awarded	BDS	BDS
Course length	5 years	4 years (graduate entry, direct into 2nd BDS)
Teaching style	Integrated	Integrated
Anatomy teaching	-	-
First patient contact	-	-
Placement geography	London	Lancashire and Cumbria
Named placement sites	Guy's Hospital, St Thomas' Hospital, King's College Hospital	Blackpool Dental Education Centre, Morecambe Dental Education Centre, Accrington Dental Education Centre, Carlisle Dental Education Centre
Intercalation	Opportunity to intercalate a BSc.	-
Course highlight	The largest dental school in the UK, graduating around 150 dentists a year.	The course recruits 29 students a year.

Interview window	January – February	Spring
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 for both UK and international applicants. About 32-38 offers from 120 interviews (around 30%). Personal statements no longer used in selection; performance is driven by UCAT and interview.

Specialities	Dentistry (BDS), Graduate Entry Dentistry (4-year), Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery (3-year, post-FY2)	Graduate Entry Dentistry (BDS)
Established	1829	1828
Course type	Undergraduate	Graduate Entry
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…	Both UK and international applicants accepted - only one offer made each year to an international applicant. 2025: 353 applicants, 120 interviews, 38 offers (32%). Personal statements no longer used.
Official course page	https://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/dentistry-bds	https://www.lancashire.ac.uk/

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

UCLan (Graduate Dentistry)

Preston

Quick comparison

Location: Preston, UK
A-Level offer: CCC at A-level minimum (in addition to degree) including 2 of Biology / Physics / Chemistry / Mathematics
TrueScore: UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) TrueScore 1810
UCAT home cut-off: Lowest UCAT score for 2025 entry: ~1810+ /2700
Interview format: MMI for both UK and international applicants
Post-interview chance: 38/120 = 32% (2025).
Decision date: Spring

King's College London (KCL) vs UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) - in detail

UCAT thresholds compared

King's College London (KCL)'s published UCAT threshold for home applicants is around 3600, while UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) 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 UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) but borderline at King's College London (KCL).

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.

UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) requires CCC at A-level minimum (in addition to degree) including 2 of Biology / Physics / Chemistry / Mathematics.

King's College London (KCL) is the stricter A-Level offer; UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) is slightly more forgiving. If your predicted grades are borderline, UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) 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… UCLan (Graduate Dentistry): GCSE English Language and Mathematics at grade 6/B or above.

Interview formats

King's College London (KCL) uses Panel (Two-interviewer panel, remote (no longer 6-station MMI)); UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) uses MMI (MMI for both UK and international applicants). 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, UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) is the better fit.

Interview windows: King's College London (KCL) interviews in January – February; UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) in Spring.

Post-interview offer rate

King's College London (KCL): Non-contextual home students without degree: 98/171 = 57% (2025). Overall 2025: 175/350 = 50%. UCLan (Graduate Dentistry): 38/120 = 32% (2025).

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).

UCLan (Graduate Dentistry): Both UK and international applicants accepted - only one offer made each year to an international applicant. 2025: 353 applicants, 120 interviews, 38 offers (32%). Personal statements no longer used.

Which is right for you?

If your UCAT lands below the UK median (~1880/2700), UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) is the more realistic firm-choice option. For applicants with predicted A-Level grades at the lower end of the AAA-A*AA range, UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) 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; UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) 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 UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) sits at approximately 2025 — a 1575-point spread. That's a meaningful gap; UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) 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). UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) uses Multiple Mini Interviews: MMI for both UK and international applicants. 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)); Spring (UCLan (Graduate Dentistry)).

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.. UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) requires 2:1 in biomedical discipline. GCSE English and maths grade B. CCC at A-level including 2 from biology/physics/chemistry/maths.. 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. UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) — GCSE English Language and Mathematics at grade 6/B or above.

King's College London (KCL)'s selection methodology: shortlisting weight not fully disclosed; check the official admissions page. UCLan (Graduate Dentistry)'s selection methodology: UCAT + degree class + interview. Strong North-West regional focus. 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%.. UCLan (Graduate Dentistry): 38/120 = 32% (2025).. 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

UCLan (Graduate Dentistry)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.

King's College London (KCL) vs UCLan (Graduate Dentistry)

Side-by-side comparison

King's College London (KCL) vs UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) - 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 UCLan (Graduate Dentistry)?

How do interviews differ between King's College London (KCL) and UCLan (Graduate Dentistry)?

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

How are GCSEs weighted at King's College London (KCL) vs UCLan (Graduate Dentistry)?

How does each school actually shortlist applicants?

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

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

When does each school release decisions?

Should I apply to both King's College London (KCL) and UCLan (Graduate Dentistry)?

Where to go next

Other dental school comparisons