Is dentistry free in Scotland?

For Scottish-domiciled applicants funded by SAAS, tuition is free for the standard 5-year BDS. Rest-of-UK applicants pay £9,250/year and International applicants pay overseas fees. The Aberdeen graduate route is funded on the same basis.

What UCAT score do I need for dentistry in Scotland?

Both Dundee and Glasgow weight UCAT heavily and Scottish-domiciled cut-offs are typically lower than Rest-of-UK cut-offs by 100-200 points. See each school detail page for the latest cycle data.

Is Aberdeen dentistry undergraduate or graduate?

Aberdeen runs a four-year graduate-entry BDS only - applicants must hold (or be predicted) a relevant 2:1 (or higher) degree. There is no five-year undergraduate dental route at Aberdeen.

Are Rest-of-UK applicants disadvantaged at Scottish dental schools?

Yes, materially. The Scottish-domiciled quota is the largest tier at Dundee and Glasgow, and the RUK UCAT threshold is consistently higher. RUK applicants need a strong UCAT plus a confident interview to compete for the smaller RUK quota.

UK Dentistry · 2027 Entry

Dental schools inScotland

3 schools2027 entry

Scotland has two undergraduate dental schools - Dundee and Glasgow - plus a four-year graduate-entry route at Aberdeen. Scotland's dental schools are highly competitive and selection algorithms favour Scottish-domiciled applicants funded by SAAS. Cohorts are small (typically 70-90 places per year), making interview shortlisting unusually tight, and UCAT remains the dominant pre-interview signal at both Dundee and Glasgow.

Overview

Studying dentistry in Scotland

As with medicine, Scottish dental degrees are publicly funded for Scottish-domiciled applicants through SAAS - tuition is effectively free. Rest-of-UK applicants pay £9,250/year and International applicants pay overseas fees (typically £25,000-£45,000/year depending on school). Quotas are split between Scottish, RUK and International tiers, with the largest share reserved for Scottish-domiciled applicants - this materially raises the bar for RUK candidates. Aberdeen's graduate-entry route opens an extra pathway for applicants with a relevant prior degree.

Fees + funding. Scottish-domiciled (SAAS): tuition free. Rest-of-UK: £9,250/year. International: £25,000-£45,000/year (varies by school). Aberdeen graduate route follows the same domiciliary rules.

Schools