Where are Newcastle and Queen's University Belfast located, and how does that affect cost?

Newcastle is in Newcastle, 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?

Newcastle typically releases dentistry decisions Spring. 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

Newcastle vs Queen's University Belfast

Newcastle and Queen's University Belfast are both UK dental schools, but the path to an offer at each is meaningfully different. Newcastle is based in Newcastle (England) while Queen's University Belfast sits in Belfast (Northern Ireland), and the regional context shapes everything from fee status to NHS-deanery destination.

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: Newcastle and Queen's University Belfast.
Comparison field	NewcastleNewcastle	Queen's University BelfastBelfast
Quick comparison
Location	Newcastle, UK	Belfast, UK
A-Level offer	AAA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology	AAA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology (or Human Biology)
TrueScore	Newcastle TrueScore 2080	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	Online semi-structured panel interview with two selectors (~20 min)	MMI / panel format
Post-interview chance	2025: ~126/328 = 38%. Partners (2024): 59/164 = 36%. Home non-partners (2024): 47/179 = 26%. International (2024): 9/10 = 90%.	All applicants (2024): 87/204 = 43%.
Decision date	Spring	March onwards

A-Level offer	AAA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology	AAA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology (or Human Biology)
Contextual A-Level offer	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 (or Human Biology) both required
A-Level resit policy	Resits accepted if A-Level score increases.	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	Top 8 GCSE grades scored; not used if the A-level academic criteria are already met.	Minimum 9 GCSEs scored — best 9 GCSEs are used in shortlisting
GCSE scoring methodology	-	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	-	-
Scottish Advanced Highers	-	-
International Baccalaureate	36 points overall.	36 points overall, 666 at Higher Level including Chemistry and Biology
Graduate-entry degree requirement	-	-
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	-	No UCAT needed; assessed holistically. 15 overseas places.
Graduate cut-off	-	-
SJT band	No use of SJT in selection	No use of SJT in selection
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…	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 3	Year 1
Placement geography	Newcastle and the north east	Belfast
Named placement sites	Newcastle Dental Hospital	Royal Victoria Hospital, Grosvenor Road, Belfast
Intercalation	Intercalated BSc degrees in Biomedical Science, or master's degrees.	-
Course highlight	£5.5 million has been invested in clinical simulation facilities.	-

Interview window	February – March	December – 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.	-

Specialities	Dentistry (BDS)	Dentistry (BDS)
Established	1834	1845
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…	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.ncl.ac.uk/undergraduate/degrees/a206/	-

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'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

Newcastle vs Queen's University Belfast - in detail

A-Level and academic profile

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

Queen's University Belfast requires AAA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology (or Human 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 — Newcastle: Top 8 GCSE grades scored; not used if the A-level academic criteria are already met. 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

Newcastle uses Panel (Online semi-structured panel interview with two selectors (~20 min)); 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, Newcastle may suit you more. If you prefer discrete capsule answers under time pressure, Queen's University Belfast is the better fit.

Interview windows: Newcastle interviews in February – March; Queen's University Belfast in December – February.

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'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

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'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?

Regionally, the choice often comes down to cost of living and NHS-deanery preferences — Newcastle feeds into the England 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

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's University Belfast guidance: 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..

Newcastle uses Panel interview: Online semi-structured panel interview with two selectors (~20 min). 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: February – March (Newcastle); December – February (Queen's University Belfast).

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'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.

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

Newcastle's selection methodology: Two-stage process (similar to Newcastle medicine): academic screen first, then UCAT-ranked interview invites. MMI format. Queen's University Belfast's selection methodology: shortlisting weight not fully disclosed; check the official admissions page. 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'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

NewcastleEntry 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.

Newcastle vs Queen's University Belfast

Side-by-side comparison

Newcastle vs Queen's University Belfast - 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 Newcastle vs Queen's University Belfast?

How do interviews differ between Newcastle and Queen's University Belfast?

What A-Level grades do Newcastle and Queen's University Belfast require?

How are GCSEs weighted at Newcastle vs Queen's University Belfast?

How does each school actually shortlist applicants?

Which has a higher post-interview offer rate, Newcastle or Queen's University Belfast?

Where are Newcastle and Queen's University Belfast located, and how does that affect cost?

When does each school release decisions?

Should I apply to both Newcastle and Queen's University Belfast?

Where to go next

Other dental school comparisons