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Medical school comparison

Aberdeen vs University of Central Lancashire (UCLan)

Aberdeen and University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) are both UK medical schools, but the path to an offer at each is meaningfully different. Aberdeen is based in Aberdeen (Scotland) while University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) sits in Preston (England), and the regional context shapes everything from fee status to NHS-deanery destination. Their A-Level requirements (AAA vs AAB) place them in slightly different academic-strictness tiers. Aberdeen is the older institution (founded 1495); the other (founded 2014) has shaped its medical school around modern integrated-curriculum thinking.

Side-by-side comparison

Aberdeen

Aberdeen

Quick comparison

Location
Aberdeen, UK
A-Level offer
AAA at A-level
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

University of Central Lancashire (UCLan)

Preston

Quick comparison

Location
Preston, UK
A-Level offer
AAB at A-level including Biology and Chemistry (home applicants)
TrueScore
-
UCAT home cut-off
UCAT used for home applicant shortlisting; no published cut-off
Interview format
Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance
-
Decision date
March - April
Compare different schools

Aberdeen vs University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) - in detail

A-Level and academic profile

Aberdeen requires AAA including Chemistry and Biology/Physics/Mathematics. University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) requires AAB at A-level including Biology and Chemistry (home applicants). Aberdeen is the stricter A-Level offer; University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) is slightly more forgiving. If your predicted grades are borderline, University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) carries the lower academic-rejection risk pre-interview.

Interview formats

Both Aberdeen and University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) use MMI interviews, so the underlying prep approach is the same — practise ethics frameworks, NHS hot-topic answers and (for MMI) structured station responses against a timer. Interview windows: Aberdeen interviews in December - March; University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) in December - February.

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%. University of Central Lancashire (UCLan): One of the first UK universities to run a privately-funded medical school open to international students; substantial international cohort blended with a smaller home intake. Strong Lancashire regional placement network.

Which is right for you?

For applicants with predicted A-Level grades at the lower end of the AAA-A*AA range, University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) 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; University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) into the England 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 or six years.

Common questions

School data reviewed by the NextGen MedPrep editorial team — last reviewed 3 July 2026.