Where are Aberdeen and Keele located, and how does that affect cost?

Aberdeen is in Aberdeen, UK. Keele is in Staffordshire, UK. Scottish-domiciled applicants funded by SAAS pay no tuition fees at Scottish medical schools — a substantial funding advantage worth tens of thousands of pounds over the degree. Rest-of-UK applicants still pay £9,250/year.

When does each school release decisions?

Aberdeen typically releases medicine decisions March/April. Keele releases medicine 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.

Medical school comparison

Aberdeen vs Keele

Aberdeen and Keele are both UK medical schools, but the path to an offer at each is meaningfully different. Aberdeen is based in Aberdeen (Scotland) while Keele sits in Staffordshire (England), 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.

The interview formats diverge — MMI vs Traditional — and the prep approaches for the two are fundamentally different. Aberdeen is the older institution (founded 1495); the other (founded 1978) has shaped its medical school around modern integrated-curriculum thinking.

Side-by-side comparison

Show only differences

Side-by-side comparison: Aberdeen and Keele.
Comparison field	AberdeenAberdeen	KeeleStaffordshire
Quick comparison
Location	Aberdeen, UK	Staffordshire, UK
A-Level offer	AAA at A-level	A*AA at A-level (or AAA + grade A in EPQ as alternative)
TrueScore	Aberdeen TrueScore 1700	Keele TrueScore 1900
UCAT home cut-off	-	~1700+ /2700 absolute minimum (with 15/25 total score or 14/25 + 600+ VR). Top 20% UCAT (~2100+) maximises points.
Interview format	Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)	Two 15-minute structured online interviews (traditional format, not MMI; Microsoft Teams), usually around two hours apart
Post-interview chance	RUK 74/165 = 45% (2025); Scottish 736/863 = 85%; International 101/140 = 72%	International: 23/54 = 43%; Home Non-Contextual: 167/491 = 34%
Decision date	March/April	March onwards

A-Level offer	AAA at A-level	A*AA at A-level (or AAA + grade A in EPQ as alternative)
Contextual A-Level offer	-	AAA at A-level for contextual applicants
Required A-Level subjects	Chemistry required, plus one of Biology / Human Biology / Mathematics / Physics, plus one other subject	One of Biology / Chemistry required, plus a second from Chemistry / Biology / Mathematics / Physics / Economics / Psychology
A-Level resit policy	Resits only accepted with serious extenuating circumstances or personal difficulties	Resits only accepted with the new achieved grades after completion of A-level resits - predicted resit grades not used in shortlisting
GCSE requirements	English Language and Mathematics at grade 6/B or above. A combination of grade 6–9 GCSEs expected, especially in sciences. National 5 (Scottish): English and Maths at B/6 minimum.	Five GCSEs at grade 7/A or above, plus minimum grade 6 in English Language, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry and Physics (6-6 Combined Science accepted as equivalent)
GCSE scoring methodology	GCSEs are not used in scoring - minimum threshold only (2025 entry onwards)	-
Scottish Highers	AAAAB at one sitting including Chemistry plus two of Biology / Human Biology / Mathematics / Physics. AAAB for widening-access applicants.	-
Scottish Advanced Highers	-	-
International Baccalaureate	36 points overall, including HL 6,6,6 with HL Chemistry plus HL Maths / Biology / Physics, and one other HL subject	36 points overall, 6,6,6 at Higher Level - including HL Biology or Chemistry plus a second science / Maths / Economics / Psychology
Graduate-entry degree requirement	-	-
Alternative qualifications	-	-

Contextual cut-off	SIMD20 and care-experienced school leavers receive a 10% uplift on their UCAT score; SIMD40 school leavers receive 5%.	~1700+ /2700 with up to 3 contextual points (UCAT bursary, postcode, local school)
Scottish (where applicable)	No cut-off. Scotland-domiciled applicants are guaranteed an interview if they meet the minimum academic requirements and their UCAT sits within the top 75% of scores from Aberdeen applicants.	-
Rest of UK (where applicable)	-	-
International cut-off	-	~1950+ /2700 minimum requirement; 2024 entry international avg 1882, lowest 1763
Graduate cut-off	-	-
SJT band	No use of SJT - band 4 accepted	Band 4 automatically rejected. Band 3 can compensate with higher stats. Scored /2 (B1=2, B2=1, B3=0).
UCAT notes	Aberdeen does not use a minimum UCAT cut-off at all. Your score is converted into points relative to every other Aberdeen applicant that year, and feeds a total of academic attainment 30%, UCAT 20% an…	Points system /25: PS /15 + UCAT /5 (decile-based) + SJT /2 + contextual /3. Cut-off 15/25 (or 14/25 + 600+ VR).

Degree awarded	MBChB	MBChB
Course length	5 years	5 years
Teaching style	Integrated	Spiral + Integrated
Anatomy teaching	-	Dissection
First patient contact	Year 1	Year 1
Placement geography	Grampian, the Highlands and the Scottish islands	Staffordshire and Shropshire
Named placement sites	Aberdeen Royal Infirmary	University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (Royal Stoke, County Hospital Stafford), Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (Bradwell, Haywood, St George’s Stafford, Redwoods Shrewsbury), North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust (Harplands, Stoke), Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (Royal Shrewsbury, Princess Royal Telford)
Intercalation	A one-year intercalated honours degree in Medical Science or Medical Humanities at the end of year 3 or 4.	Available after year 2 at bachelor's level or year 4 at master's level, at Keele or another university.
Course highlight	The world’s first full-body MRI scanner was developed and built by researchers at Aberdeen.	-

Interview window	December - March	December - March
Interview details	Multiple Mini Interview format with applicants rotating through several stations. Each station has two interviewers and assesses a specific competency such as motivation, ethical reasoning, communicat…	Keele's 2027-entry selection uses two 15-minute structured online interviews via Microsoft Teams, usually about two hours apart, discussing pre-released GMC 'Good Medical Practice' guidance and a case…

Specialities	Medicine, Medical Sciences, Rural Health	Medicine, Community Medicine, Primary Care
Established	1495	1978
Course type	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
What makes it different	Shortlisting weights academic 60% (A-level scores) / UCAT 40%. Scottish-domiciled applicants in the top 75% academically receive guaranteed interview. Care leavers and Quintile 1 postcode applicants r…	Personal statement is heavily weighted (/15 of the /25 total score) - Keele has very specific PS criteria. Strong PS with band 1-2 SJT can compensate for relatively low UCAT. International applicants…
Official course page	https://www.abdn.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/degree-programmes/796/A100/medicine-5-years/	https://www.keele.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/undergraduatecourses/medicine/

Aberdeen

Quick comparison

Location: Aberdeen, UK
A-Level offer: AAA at A-level
TrueScore: Aberdeen TrueScore 1700
UCAT home cut-off: -
Interview format: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance: RUK 74/165 = 45% (2025); Scottish 736/863 = 85%; International 101/140 = 72%
Decision date: March/April

Keele

Staffordshire

Quick comparison

Location: Staffordshire, UK
A-Level offer: A*AA at A-level (or AAA + grade A in EPQ as alternative)
TrueScore: Keele TrueScore 1900
UCAT home cut-off: ~1700+ /2700 absolute minimum (with 15/25 total score or 14/25 + 600+ VR). Top 20% UCAT (~2100+) maximises points.
Interview format: Two 15-minute structured online interviews (traditional format, not MMI; Microsoft Teams), usually around two hours apart
Post-interview chance: International: 23/54 = 43%; Home Non-Contextual: 167/491 = 34%
Decision date: March onwards

Aberdeen vs Keele - in detail

A-Level and academic profile

Aberdeen requires AAA at A-level.

Keele requires A*AA at A-level (or AAA + grade A in EPQ as alternative).

Keele is the stricter A-Level offer; Aberdeen is slightly more forgiving. If your predicted grades are borderline, Aberdeen carries the lower academic-rejection risk pre-interview.

GCSE profile matters at both schools — Aberdeen: English Language and Mathematics at grade 6/B or above. A combination of grade 6–9 GCSEs expected, especially in sciences. National 5 (Scottish): English and Maths at B/6 minimum.

GCSEs are not used… Keele: Five GCSEs at grade 7/A or above, plus minimum grade 6 in English Language, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry and Physics (6-6 Combined Science accepted as equivalent).

Interview formats

Aberdeen uses MMI (Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)); Keele uses Traditional (Two 15-minute structured online interviews (traditional format, not MMI; Microsoft Teams), usually around two hours apart). These two formats reward different skills — MMI emphasises breadth, station-recovery and structured answers under time pressure, while Traditional rewards malleability and intellectual honesty.

If your strengths lie in conversational depth, either may suit you more. If you prefer discrete capsule answers under time pressure, Aberdeen is the better fit.

Interview windows: Aberdeen interviews in December - March; Keele in December - March.

Curriculum and teaching style

Aberdeen runs a Integrated curriculum; Keele runs a Spiral curriculum. The teaching philosophies are different — Aberdeen delivers more didactic lectures with structured systems-based progression, while Keele uses a more traditional lecture-led structure.

Specifics: Five-year MBChB with early clinical exposure from Year 1. Distinctive remote/rural placement strand in Highlands and Western Isles. Five-year MBChB with spiral curriculum. Strong rural/community placement strand across Staffordshire, Shropshire and Cheshire.

Intake size: Aberdeen — ~257 Scottish + ~24 RUK + ~39 International per year (2025 entry data).; Keele — ~150 home + ~10 international places per year (5-year MBChB) + ~30 Health Foundation Year places.. A larger cohort means more peer breadth; a smaller cohort means more tutor contact.

Post-interview offer rate

Aberdeen: RUK 74/165 = 45% (2025); Scottish 736/863 = 85%; International 101/140 = 72%. Keele: International: 23/54 = 43%; Home Non-Contextual: 167/491 = 34%.

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

Aberdeen: Shortlisting weights academic 60% (A-level scores) / UCAT 40%. Scottish-domiciled applicants in the top 75% academically receive guaranteed interview. Care leavers and Quintile 1 postcode applicants receive a 10% UCAT uplift; Quintile 2 receives 5%.

Keele: Personal statement is heavily weighted (/15 of the /25 total score) - Keele has very specific PS criteria. Strong PS with band 1-2 SJT can compensate for relatively low UCAT. International applicants selected on UCAT only.

Which is right for you?

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

If you learn best in small-group case discussion, prefer Aberdeen; 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 or six 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. Aberdeen guidance: Aberdeen does not use a minimum UCAT cut-off at all. Your score is converted into points relative to every other Aberdeen applicant that year, and feeds a total of academic attainment 30%, UCAT 20% and interview 50%. Applicants are ranked on that total, so UCAT is only a fifth of the decision and the interview is half of it.. Keele guidance: ~1700+ /2700 absolute minimum (with 15/25 total score or 14/25 + 600+ VR). Top 20% UCAT (~2100+) maximises points..

Aberdeen uses Multiple Mini Interviews: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI). Keele uses Traditional interview: Two 15-minute structured online interviews (traditional format, not MMI; Microsoft Teams), usually around two hours apart. 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: December - March (Aberdeen); December - March (Keele).

Aberdeen requires AAA including Chemistry, plus one of Biology, Human Biology, Mathematics or Physics, plus one other subject. Keele requires A*AA, or AAA with an EPQ at grade A. Most successful applicants achieve these grades on first sitting with strong predicted grades from their school. Resit policies differ: Aberdeen — Resits considered with strong justification.. Keele — Resits accepted with explanation; achieved-grade route also available..

Aberdeen — English Language and Mathematics at grade 6/B or above. A combination of grade 6–9 GCSEs expected, especially in sciences. National 5 (Scottish): English and Maths at B/6 minimum. GCSEs are not used in scoring - minimum threshold only (2025 entry onwards) Keele — Five GCSEs at grade 7/A or above, plus minimum grade 6 in English Language, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry and Physics (6-6 Combined Science accepted as equivalent).

Aberdeen's selection methodology: Aberdeen scores academic attainment and predictions at 30%, UCAT at 20% and interview performance at 50%, then ranks applicants on the total; those above the required threshold are interviewed and may then be offered a place. There is no minimum UCAT cut-off - your score is converted to points relative to all other Aberdeen applicants that year. Scotland-domiciled applicants who meet the academic minimum and sit within the top 75% of Aberdeen's UCAT scores are guaranteed an interview. Keele's selection methodology: UCAT + academic + Multiple Mini Interview. Keele's contextual route (Keele Health Foundation Year) provides extensive support for North Midlands widening-participation applicants. 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.

Aberdeen: RUK 74/165 = 45% (2025); Scottish 736/863 = 85%; International 101/140 = 72%. Keele: International: 23/54 = 43%; Home Non-Contextual: 167/491 = 34%. 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%.

Aberdeen runs a Integrated curriculum. Keele runs a Spiral curriculum. The teaching philosophies differ — pick the style that matches how you learn best. Aberdeen specifics: Five-year MBChB with early clinical exposure from Year 1. Distinctive remote/rural placement strand in Highlands and Western Isles. Keele specifics: Five-year MBChB with spiral curriculum. Strong rural/community placement strand across Staffordshire, Shropshire and Cheshire.

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

AberdeenEntry requirements, interview format and key dates in full

KeeleEntry requirements, interview format and key dates in full

Other medical school comparisons

School data reviewed by the NextGen MedPrep editorial team — last reviewed 19 September 2026.

Aberdeen vs Keele

Side-by-side comparison

Aberdeen vs Keele - 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 Aberdeen vs Keele?

How do interviews differ between Aberdeen and Keele?

What A-Level grades do Aberdeen and Keele require?

How are GCSEs weighted at Aberdeen vs Keele?

How does each school actually shortlist applicants?

Which has a higher post-interview offer rate, Aberdeen or Keele?

Where are Aberdeen and Keele located, and how does that affect cost?

When does each school release decisions?

What curriculum style do Aberdeen and Keele use?

Should I apply to both Aberdeen and Keele?

Where to go next

Other medical school comparisons