Where are Newcastle and Queen Mary (QMUL) located, and how does that affect cost?

Newcastle is in Newcastle, UK. Queen Mary (QMUL) is in London, 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?

Newcastle typically releases dentistry decisions Spring. Queen Mary (QMUL) 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

Newcastle vs Queen Mary (QMUL)

Newcastle and Queen Mary (QMUL) are both UK dental schools, but the path to an offer at each is meaningfully different. Newcastle is based in Newcastle (England) while Queen Mary (QMUL) sits in London (London), and the regional context shapes everything from fee status to NHS-deanery destination. Their A-Level requirements (AAA vs A*AA) place them in slightly different academic-strictness tiers.

Side-by-side comparison

Show only differences

Side-by-side comparison: Newcastle and Queen Mary (QMUL).
Comparison field	NewcastleNewcastle	Queen Mary (QMUL)London
Quick comparison
Location	Newcastle, UK	London, UK
A-Level offer	AAA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology	AAA at A-level (offer and prediction) — single sitting, no more than 2 years. UCAS Tariff minimum 152 (AAA delivers this).
TrueScore	Newcastle TrueScore 2080	Queen Mary (QMUL) TrueScore 2210
UCAT home cut-off	-	Expressed as a decile, not a raw score: applications below the fourth decile of the total UCAT do not pass first shortlisting, and clearing it guarantees nothing.
Interview format	Online semi-structured panel interview with two selectors (~20 min)	Two-interviewer panel, online (January–February)
Post-interview chance	2025: ~126/328 = 38%. Partners (2024): 59/164 = 36%. Home non-partners (2024): 47/179 = 26%. International (2024): 9/10 = 90%.	2025 - All applicants: 182/267 = 68%. Overseas: 13/22 = 59%.
Decision date	Spring	Spring

A-Level offer	AAA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology	AAA at A-level (offer and prediction) — single sitting, no more than 2 years. UCAS Tariff minimum 152 (AAA delivers this).
Contextual A-Level offer	Two-grade reduction (ABB offer) for the Partners programme, on a BBB prediction.	Reduced offer available for East London / contextual applicants
Required A-Level subjects	Chemistry and Biology both required	Biology or Chemistry required, plus a second science from Chemistry / Biology / Physics / Mathematics
A-Level resit policy	Resits accepted if A-Level score increases.	Resits only with extenuating circumstances falling under the Equality and Diversity Act 2010
GCSE requirements	Top 8 GCSE grades scored; not used if the A-level academic criteria are already met.	Six GCSEs at grade 7,7,7,6,6,6 (777666) or above, must include Mathematics, English Language or Literature, Biology and Chemistry (or Double Science). GCSEs are not required for graduate applicants.
GCSE scoring methodology	-	Used as minimum threshold once met — UCAT and UCAS tariff drive the ranking. No longer at a 50:50 UCAS:UCAT weighting.
Scottish Highers	-	AAA at Higher
Scottish Advanced Highers	-	AA at Advanced Higher
International Baccalaureate	36 points overall.	37 points overall, 666 at Higher Level including Chemistry or Biology, plus one further science from Chemistry / Biology / Physics / Mathematics
Graduate-entry degree requirement	-	2:1 (Upper-second-class Honours) or above. Graduate qualifications scored via QMUL's internal Academic Points system (50/50 UCAT:Academic Points). No GCSE requirement for graduates.
Alternative qualifications	-	-

Contextual cut-off	-	-
Scottish (where applicable)	-	-
Rest of UK (where applicable)	-	-
International cut-off	-	-
Graduate cut-off	-	-
SJT band	No use of SJT in selection	Band 4 automatically rejected. Used post-interview in offer-making (likely minimal weighting).
UCAT notes	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…	Queen Mary states that thresholds cannot be predicted for any individual year, nor derived from previous years - which is why the bar is published as a decile rather than a score. Applicants above the…

Degree awarded	BDS	BDS
Course length	5 years	5 years
Teaching style	Integrated	Integrated
Anatomy teaching	-	-
First patient contact	Year 3	-
Placement geography	Newcastle and the north east	East London
Named placement sites	Newcastle Dental Hospital	The Royal London Dental Institute
Intercalation	Intercalated BSc degrees in Biomedical Science, or master's degrees.	-
Course highlight	£5.5 million has been invested in clinical simulation facilities.	The Institute of Dentistry moved into the Alexandra Wing of The Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel in 2014 — a £78 million building, the first new dental school built in the UK for over 40 years.

Interview window	February – March	January – February
Interview details	Online interview conducted via Zoom in February-March. Six domains assessed: preparation and motivation for dental school, communication, problem solving, professionalism, teamwork and reflection.	Online panel interview with two senior academic/clinical staff, a dental student, or sometimes a lay selector. Split into two parts: (1) questions based on an article given 2 weeks prior; (2) personal…

Specialities	Dentistry (BDS)	Dentistry (BDS)
Established	1834	1843
Course type	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
What makes it different	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…	Queen Mary applies a fourth-decile minimum on the total UCAT: below it an application does not pass first shortlisting, and clearing it guarantees nothing. The bar is published as a decile rather than…
Official course page	https://www.ncl.ac.uk/undergraduate/degrees/a206/	https://www.qmul.ac.uk/undergraduate/coursefinder/courses/2026/dentistry/

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

Queen Mary (QMUL)

London

Quick comparison

Location: London, UK
A-Level offer: A*AA at A-level (offer and prediction) — single sitting, no more than 2 years. UCAS Tariff minimum 152 (A*AA delivers this).
TrueScore: Queen Mary (QMUL) TrueScore 2210
UCAT home cut-off: Expressed as a decile, not a raw score: applications below the fourth decile of the total UCAT do not pass first shortlisting, and clearing it guarantees nothing.
Interview format: Two-interviewer panel, online (January–February)
Post-interview chance: 2025 - All applicants: 182/267 = 68%. Overseas: 13/22 = 59%.
Decision date: Spring

Newcastle vs Queen Mary (QMUL) - in detail

A-Level and academic profile

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

Queen Mary (QMUL) requires A*AA at A-level (offer and prediction) — single sitting, no more than 2 years. UCAS Tariff minimum 152 (A*AA delivers this).

Queen Mary (QMUL) is the stricter A-Level offer; Newcastle is slightly more forgiving. If your predicted grades are borderline, Newcastle carries the lower academic-rejection risk pre-interview.

GCSE profile matters at both schools — Newcastle: Top 8 GCSE grades scored; not used if the A-level academic criteria are already met. Queen Mary (QMUL): Six GCSEs at grade 7,7,7,6,6,6 (777666) or above, must include Mathematics, English Language or Literature, Biology and Chemistry (or Double Science). GCSEs are not required for graduate applicants…

Interview formats

Both Newcastle and Queen Mary (QMUL) 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: Newcastle runs online semi-structured panel interview with two selectors (~20 min); Queen Mary (QMUL) runs two-interviewer panel, online (january–february). Mock practice tailored to each school's exact format is the highest-leverage prep.

Interview windows: Newcastle interviews in February – March; Queen Mary (QMUL) in January – February.

Curriculum and teaching style

Newcastle runs a Case-based curriculum; Queen Mary (QMUL) runs a Integrated curriculum. The teaching philosophies are different — Newcastle leans on small-group case-based learning from year 1, while Queen Mary (QMUL) uses a more traditional lecture-led structure.

Specifics: Five-year BDS with case-based learning. Clinical placements at Newcastle Dental Hospital and North-East community sites. Five-year BDS at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry. Clinical placements at Royal London Dental Hospital and East London community

Intake size: Newcastle — ~85 home + ~15 international places per year for BDS Dentistry.; Queen Mary (QMUL) — ~80 home + ~20 international places per year for BDS Dentistry (Barts and The London).. A larger cohort means more peer breadth; a smaller cohort means more tutor contact.

Post-interview offer rate

Newcastle: 2025: ~126/328 = 38%. Partners (2024): 59/164 = 36%. Home non-partners (2024): 47/179 = 26%. International (2024): 9/10 = 90%. Queen Mary (QMUL): 2025 - All applicants: 182/267 = 68%. Overseas: 13/22 = 59%.

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

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).

Queen Mary (QMUL): Queen Mary applies a fourth-decile minimum on the total UCAT: below it an application does not pass first shortlisting, and clearing it guarantees nothing. The bar is published as a decile rather than a score because the boundary moves with each cohort, and Queen Mary states thresholds cannot be predicted from previous years.

Higher predicted grades do not compensate. SJT band 4 automatically rejected.

Which is right for you?

For applicants with predicted A-Level grades at the lower end of the AAA-A*AA range, Newcastle is the lower-risk academic option. Regionally, the choice often comes down to cost of living and NHS-deanery preferences — Newcastle feeds into the England foundation programme network; Queen Mary (QMUL) into the London network.

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. 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.. Queen Mary (QMUL) guidance: Expressed as a decile, not a raw score: applications below the fourth decile of the total UCAT do not pass first shortlisting, and clearing it guarantees nothing..

Newcastle uses Panel interview: Online semi-structured panel interview with two selectors (~20 min). Queen Mary (QMUL) uses Panel interview: Two-interviewer panel, online (January–February). 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: February – March (Newcastle); January – February (Queen Mary (QMUL)).

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.. Queen Mary (QMUL) requires A*AA in single sitting, no more than 2 years. Must include biology or chemistry + second science from chemistry/biology/physics/maths. Resit only with extenuating circumstances under Equality and Diversity Act 2010.. Most successful applicants achieve these grades on first sitting with strong predicted grades from their school. Resit policies differ: Newcastle — Resits accepted if A-Level score increases.. Queen Mary (QMUL) — Resits considered with explanation..

Newcastle — Top 8 GCSE grades scored; not used if the A-level academic criteria are already met. Queen Mary (QMUL) — Six GCSEs at grade 7,7,7,6,6,6 (777666) or above, must include Mathematics, English Language or Literature, Biology and Chemistry (or Double Science). GCSEs are not required for graduate applicants. Used as minimum threshold once met — UCAT and UCAS tariff drive the ranking. No longer at a 50:50 UCAS:UCAT weighting.

Newcastle's selection methodology: Two-stage process (similar to Newcastle medicine): academic screen first, then UCAT-ranked interview invites. MMI format. Queen Mary (QMUL)'s selection methodology: UCAT + academic + MMI. SJT used post-interview. Strong East London 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.

Newcastle: 2025: ~126/328 = 38%. Partners (2024): 59/164 = 36%. Home non-partners (2024): 47/179 = 26%. International (2024): 9/10 = 90%.. Queen Mary (QMUL): 2025 - All applicants: 182/267 = 68%. Overseas: 13/22 = 59%.. 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%.

Newcastle runs a Case-based curriculum. Queen Mary (QMUL) runs a Integrated curriculum. The teaching philosophies differ — pick the style that matches how you learn best. Newcastle specifics: Five-year BDS with case-based learning. Clinical placements at Newcastle Dental Hospital and North-East community sites. Queen Mary (QMUL) specifics: Five-year BDS at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry. Clinical placements at Royal London Dental Hospital and East London 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

NewcastleEntry requirements, interview format and key dates in full

Queen Mary (QMUL)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.

Newcastle vs Queen Mary (QMUL)

Side-by-side comparison

Newcastle vs Queen Mary (QMUL) - 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 Newcastle vs Queen Mary (QMUL)?

How do interviews differ between Newcastle and Queen Mary (QMUL)?

What A-Level grades do Newcastle and Queen Mary (QMUL) require?

How are GCSEs weighted at Newcastle vs Queen Mary (QMUL)?

How does each school actually shortlist applicants?

Which has a higher post-interview offer rate, Newcastle or Queen Mary (QMUL)?

Where are Newcastle and Queen Mary (QMUL) located, and how does that affect cost?

When does each school release decisions?

What curriculum style do Newcastle and Queen Mary (QMUL) use?

Should I apply to both Newcastle and Queen Mary (QMUL)?

Where to go next

Other dental school comparisons