Where are Liverpool and Newcastle located, and how does that affect cost?

Liverpool is in Liverpool, UK. Newcastle is in Newcastle, 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?

Liverpool typically releases dentistry decisions March onwards. Newcastle 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

Liverpool vs Newcastle

Liverpool and Newcastle are both UK dental schools, but the path to an offer at each is meaningfully different. Both sit in England, so location and clinical-placement breadth are similar — the differentiation comes from selection methodology, interview style and curriculum philosophy.

The interview formats diverge — MMI vs Panel — and the prep approaches for the two are fundamentally different.

Side-by-side comparison

Show only differences

Side-by-side comparison: Liverpool and Newcastle.
Comparison field	LiverpoolLiverpool	NewcastleNewcastle
Quick comparison
Location	Liverpool, UK	Newcastle, 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	AAA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology
TrueScore	Liverpool TrueScore 1800	Newcastle TrueScore 2080
UCAT home cut-off	-	-
Interview format	Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI), online	Online semi-structured panel interview with two selectors (~20 min)
Post-interview chance	Non-widening participation (2024): 89/402 = 22%.	2025: ~126/328 = 38%. Partners (2024): 59/164 = 36%. Home non-partners (2024): 47/179 = 26%. International (2024): 9/10 = 90%.
Decision date	March onwards	Spring

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	AAA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology
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)	Two-grade reduction (ABB offer) for the Partners programme, on a BBB prediction.
Required A-Level subjects	Chemistry and Biology both required	Chemistry and Biology both required
A-Level resit policy	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.	Resits accepted if A-Level score increases.
GCSE requirements	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.	Top 8 GCSE grades scored; not used if the A-level academic criteria are already met.
GCSE scoring methodology	Used only as minimum threshold beyond meeting the floor — UCAT + SJT + non-academic information form drive the ranking	-
Scottish Highers	AAAAA at Higher including Chemistry and Biology	-
Scottish Advanced Highers	AA at Advanced Higher including Chemistry and Biology	-
International Baccalaureate	36 points overall, 666 at Higher Level including Chemistry and Biology	36 points overall.
Graduate-entry degree requirement	-	-
Alternative qualifications	-	-

Contextual cut-off	-	-
Scottish (where applicable)	-	-
Rest of UK (where applicable)	-	-
International cut-off	-	-
Graduate cut-off	-	-
SJT band	Band 4 automatically rejected. Band 1 or 2 ideal.	No use of SJT in selection
UCAT notes	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…	All applicants must sit the UCAT in the year of application. Newcastle explicitly does NOT publish its dental UCAT threshold - it varies by cycle with the applicant pool, so no cut-off should be infer…

Degree awarded	BDS	BDS
Course length	5 years	5 years
Teaching style	Enquiry-based learning	Integrated
Anatomy teaching	-	-
First patient contact	Year 1	Year 3
Placement geography	Liverpool and Merseyside	Newcastle and the north east
Named placement sites	Aintree University Hospital (oral and maxillofacial surgery), Alder Hey Children's Hospital (paediatric dentistry)	Newcastle Dental Hospital
Intercalation	-	Intercalated BSc degrees in Biomedical Science, or master's degrees.
Course highlight	Students share a three-year Collaborative Learning Core with dental therapy students.	£5.5 million has been invested in clinical simulation facilities.

Interview window	December – February	February – March
Interview details	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…	Online interview conducted via Zoom in February-March. Six domains assessed: preparation and motivation for dental school, communication, problem solving, professionalism, teamwork and reflection.

Specialities	Dentistry (BDS)	Dentistry (BDS)
Established	1903	1834
Course type	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
What makes it different	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.	No use of SJT. Partners (contextual) programme accepts ethnic-minority and private-school students (recently expanded eligibility). 2026 admissions policy expects a minimum of 10 days relevant work ex…
Official course page	https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/courses/2026/dental-surgery-bds	https://www.ncl.ac.uk/undergraduate/degrees/a206/

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

Newcastle

Quick comparison

Location: Newcastle, UK
A-Level offer: AAA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology
TrueScore: Newcastle TrueScore 2080
UCAT home cut-off: -
Interview format: Online semi-structured panel interview with two selectors (~20 min)
Post-interview chance: 2025: ~126/328 = 38%. Partners (2024): 59/164 = 36%. Home non-partners (2024): 47/179 = 26%. International (2024): 9/10 = 90%.
Decision date: Spring

Liverpool vs Newcastle - in detail

A-Level and academic profile

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.

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

Both demand the same A-Level grade band, so academic prediction is unlikely to differentiate your application between them — provided you meet the required subject combination at each.

GCSE profile matters at both 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… Newcastle: Top 8 GCSE grades scored; not used if the A-level academic criteria are already met.

Interview formats

Liverpool uses MMI (Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI), online); Newcastle uses Panel (Online semi-structured panel interview with two selectors (~20 min)). These two formats reward different skills — MMI emphasises breadth, station-recovery and structured answers under time pressure, while Panel rewards depth and consistency.

If your strengths lie in conversational depth, Newcastle may suit you more. If you prefer discrete capsule answers under time pressure, Liverpool is the better fit.

Interview windows: Liverpool interviews in December – February; Newcastle in February – March.

Curriculum and teaching style

Liverpool runs a Integrated curriculum; Newcastle runs a Case-based curriculum. The teaching philosophies are different — Liverpool delivers more didactic lectures with structured systems-based progression, while Newcastle centres learning around clinical cases.

Specifics: Five-year BDS. Clinical placements at Liverpool University Dental Hospital and Cheshire & Merseyside community sites. Five-year BDS with case-based learning. Clinical placements at Newcastle Dental Hospital and North-East community sites.

Intake size: Liverpool — ~75 home + ~15 international places per year for BDS Dentistry.; Newcastle — ~85 home + ~15 international places per year for BDS Dentistry.. A larger cohort means more peer breadth; a smaller cohort means more tutor contact.

Post-interview offer rate

Liverpool: Non-widening participation (2024): 89/402 = 22%. Newcastle: 2025: ~126/328 = 38%. Partners (2024): 59/164 = 36%. Home non-partners (2024): 47/179 = 26%. International (2024): 9/10 = 90%.

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

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.

Newcastle: No use of SJT. Partners (contextual) programme accepts ethnic-minority and private-school students (recently expanded eligibility). 2026 admissions policy expects a minimum of 10 days relevant work experience - but reasonable alternatives accepted (e.g. free online courses).

Which is right for you?

Both schools sit in the same England foundation-programme catchment, so post-graduation training paths overlap heavily. If you learn best in small-group case discussion, prefer Newcastle; if you prefer lecture-led foundations, the other suits better.

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. 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.. Newcastle guidance: All applicants must sit the UCAT in the year of application. Newcastle explicitly does NOT publish its dental UCAT threshold - it varies by cycle with the applicant pool, so no cut-off should be inferred..

Liverpool uses Multiple Mini Interviews: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI), online. Newcastle uses Panel interview: Online semi-structured panel interview with two selectors (~20 min). 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: December – February (Liverpool); February – March (Newcastle).

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.. Newcastle requires AAA including chemistry and biology. Two-grade reduction (ABB offer) for partners programme (BBB prediction). Resit accepted only from candidates who previously applied to Newcastle dentistry; max two exam sittings; one grade higher than the offer they would otherwise have received.. Most successful applicants achieve these grades on first sitting with strong predicted grades from their school. Resit policies differ: Liverpool — Resits accepted with explanation.. Newcastle — Resits accepted if A-Level score increases..

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 Newcastle — Top 8 GCSE grades scored; not used if the A-level academic criteria are already met.

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. Newcastle's selection methodology: Two-stage process (similar to Newcastle medicine): academic screen first, then UCAT-ranked interview invites. MMI format. 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.

Liverpool: Non-widening participation (2024): 89/402 = 22%.. Newcastle: 2025: ~126/328 = 38%. Partners (2024): 59/164 = 36%. Home non-partners (2024): 47/179 = 26%. International (2024): 9/10 = 90%.. 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%.

Liverpool runs a Integrated curriculum. Newcastle runs a Case-based curriculum. The teaching philosophies differ — pick the style that matches how you learn best. Liverpool specifics: Five-year BDS. Clinical placements at Liverpool University Dental Hospital and Cheshire & Merseyside community sites. Newcastle specifics: Five-year BDS with case-based learning. Clinical placements at Newcastle Dental Hospital and North-East community sites.

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

LiverpoolEntry requirements, interview format and key dates in full

NewcastleEntry 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.

Liverpool vs Newcastle

Side-by-side comparison

Liverpool vs Newcastle - in detail

A-Level and academic profile

Interview formats

Curriculum and teaching style

Post-interview offer rate

What makes each distinctive

Which is right for you?

Common questions

What UCAT score do I need for Liverpool vs Newcastle?

How do interviews differ between Liverpool and Newcastle?

What A-Level grades do Liverpool and Newcastle require?

How are GCSEs weighted at Liverpool vs Newcastle?

How does each school actually shortlist applicants?

Which has a higher post-interview offer rate, Liverpool or Newcastle?

Where are Liverpool and Newcastle located, and how does that affect cost?

When does each school release decisions?

What curriculum style do Liverpool and Newcastle use?

Should I apply to both Liverpool and Newcastle?

Where to go next

Other dental school comparisons