Where are Queen Mary (QMUL) and Queen's University Belfast located, and how does that affect cost?

Queen Mary (QMUL) is in London, 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?

Queen Mary (QMUL) 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

Queen Mary (QMUL) vs Queen's University Belfast

Queen Mary (QMUL) and Queen's University Belfast are both UK dental schools, but the path to an offer at each is meaningfully different. Queen Mary (QMUL) is based in London (London) while Queen's University Belfast sits in Belfast (Northern Ireland), 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. 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: Queen Mary (QMUL) and Queen's University Belfast.
Comparison field	Queen Mary (QMUL)London	Queen's University BelfastBelfast
Quick comparison
Location	London, UK	Belfast, UK
A-Level offer	AAA at A-level (offer and prediction) — single sitting, no more than 2 years. UCAS Tariff minimum 152 (AAA delivers this).	AAA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology (or Human Biology)
TrueScore	Queen Mary (QMUL) TrueScore 2210	Queen's University Belfast TrueScore 1750
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.	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	Two-interviewer panel, online (January–February)	MMI / panel format
Post-interview chance	2025 - All applicants: 182/267 = 68%. Overseas: 13/22 = 59%.	All applicants (2024): 87/204 = 43%.
Decision date	Spring	March onwards

A-Level offer	AAA at A-level (offer and prediction) — single sitting, no more than 2 years. UCAS Tariff minimum 152 (AAA delivers this).	AAA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology (or Human Biology)
Contextual A-Level offer	Reduced offer available for East London / contextual applicants	-
Required A-Level subjects	Biology or Chemistry required, plus a second science from Chemistry / Biology / Physics / Mathematics	Chemistry and Biology (or Human Biology) both required
A-Level resit policy	Resits only with extenuating circumstances falling under the Equality and Diversity Act 2010	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	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.	Minimum 9 GCSEs scored — best 9 GCSEs are used in shortlisting
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.	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	AAA at Higher	-
Scottish Advanced Highers	AA at Advanced Higher	-
International Baccalaureate	37 points overall, 666 at Higher Level including Chemistry or Biology, plus one further science from Chemistry / Biology / Physics / Mathematics	36 points overall, 666 at Higher Level including Chemistry and Biology
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	-	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	Band 4 automatically rejected. Used post-interview in offer-making (likely minimal weighting).	No use of SJT in selection
UCAT notes	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…	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 1
Placement geography	East London	Belfast
Named placement sites	The Royal London Dental Institute	Royal Victoria Hospital, Grosvenor Road, Belfast
Intercalation	-	-
Course highlight	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	January – February	December – February
Interview details	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	1843	1845
Course type	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
What makes it different	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…	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.qmul.ac.uk/undergraduate/coursefinder/courses/2026/dentistry/	-

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

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

Queen Mary (QMUL) vs Queen's University Belfast - in detail

A-Level and academic profile

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's University Belfast requires AAA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology (or Human Biology).

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

GCSE profile matters at both schools — 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… 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

Queen Mary (QMUL) uses Panel (Two-interviewer panel, online (January–February)); 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, Queen Mary (QMUL) may suit you more. If you prefer discrete capsule answers under time pressure, Queen's University Belfast is the better fit.

Interview windows: Queen Mary (QMUL) interviews in January – February; Queen's University Belfast in December – February.

Post-interview offer rate

Queen Mary (QMUL): 2025 - All applicants: 182/267 = 68%. Overseas: 13/22 = 59%. 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

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.

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?

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

Queen Mary (QMUL) uses Panel interview: Two-interviewer panel, online (January–February). 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: January – February (Queen Mary (QMUL)); December – February (Queen's University Belfast).

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.. 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.

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. 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.

Queen Mary (QMUL)'s selection methodology: UCAT + academic + MMI. SJT used post-interview. Strong East London focus. 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.

Queen Mary (QMUL): 2025 - All applicants: 182/267 = 68%. Overseas: 13/22 = 59%.. 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

Queen Mary (QMUL)Entry 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.

Queen Mary (QMUL) vs Queen's University Belfast

Side-by-side comparison

Queen Mary (QMUL) 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 Queen Mary (QMUL) vs Queen's University Belfast?

How do interviews differ between Queen Mary (QMUL) and Queen's University Belfast?

What A-Level grades do Queen Mary (QMUL) and Queen's University Belfast require?

How are GCSEs weighted at Queen Mary (QMUL) vs Queen's University Belfast?

How does each school actually shortlist applicants?

Which has a higher post-interview offer rate, Queen Mary (QMUL) or Queen's University Belfast?

Where are Queen Mary (QMUL) and Queen's University Belfast located, and how does that affect cost?

When does each school release decisions?

Should I apply to both Queen Mary (QMUL) and Queen's University Belfast?

Where to go next

Other dental school comparisons