Dental Schools in Wales
2027 Entry · 1 school
Wales has one dental school: Cardiff University, which runs the 5-year BDS programme. Clinical training is delivered at the University Dental Hospital adjacent to the University Hospital of Wales, with community-dental placements across South Wales. Cardiff weights UCAT alongside GCSE attainment and academic predictions, and the small annual intake (~75 places) makes interview shortlisting competitive.
Studying dentistry in Wales
Welsh-domiciled applicants funded by Student Finance Wales pay £9,250/year, with up to £8,100/year of means-tested grant support that significantly reduces the effective cost. Rest of UK and International fees are at the standard or overseas rates. Cardiff teaches in English; Welsh-language placements are optional but increasingly valued in primary-care dentistry across Wales. Graduates predominantly enter the Wales Dental Foundation Training scheme, which retains a high proportion of its trainees.
Welsh funding
Welsh-domiciled: £9,250/year tuition + means-tested maintenance grant up to £8,100. Rest of UK + International: standard rates. Welsh-language clinical competency increasingly valued in Wales DFT.
Dental schools in Wales
1 dental school in Wales for 2027 Entry. Click for the full how-to-get-in guide.
Frequently asked questions
- How many dental schools are in Wales?
- One: Cardiff University, which runs a 5-year BDS programme. Swansea, Bangor and Aberystwyth do not run dental schools.
- Do I need to speak Welsh to study dentistry at Cardiff?
- No. All teaching at Cardiff Dental School is in English. Welsh-speaking clinical placements are optional but valued for community placements in Welsh-medium primary-care areas.
- What UCAT score do I need for Cardiff dentistry?
- Cardiff uses a combined academic + UCAT shortlisting score. Cut-offs vary by cycle and applicant tier - see the Cardiff school detail page for the latest UCAT cut-off and applicant statistics.
- Is Cardiff dentistry less competitive than London or Scottish schools?
- Cardiff is competitive but the applicant pool is slightly smaller than KCL or Glasgow. Welsh-domiciled applicants benefit from quota allocation; Rest-of-UK applicants compete in a smaller RUK pool with a meaningful UCAT bar.
- Where do Cardiff dental graduates work?
- Most Cardiff BDS graduates enter the Wales Dental Foundation Training scheme. Allocation is UK-wide so graduates can also apply elsewhere, but Cardiff has historically had strong Wales-DFT retention.
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