Anglia Ruskin (ARU) vs Queen's University Belfast (QUB)

Anglia Ruskin (ARU)'s published UCAT threshold for home applicants is around 2010, while Queen's University Belfast (QUB) sits at approximately 1700.

That's a 310-point gap — large enough to put the two schools in completely different competitiveness tiers. An applicant scoring in the 1800-1900 band would be competitive at Queen's University Belfast (QUB) but borderline at Anglia Ruskin (ARU).

Contextual / widening-participation cut-offs differ — Anglia Ruskin (ARU): 1960+ East of England, 1920+ WAMS or Essex, 1870+ East of England + WAMS, 1830+ Essex + WAMS. FSM/care-experienced applicants invited regardless of UCAT (provided academic + band 1–3 SJT); Queen's University Belfast (QUB): ~1500+ /2700 (with strong GCSE). Eligible applicants should weight this heavily when choosing.

Anglia Ruskin (ARU) requires AAA including Chemistry and Biology.

Queen's University Belfast (QUB) requires AAA including Chemistry and Biology.

Both demand the same A-Level grade band, so academic prediction is unlikely to differentiate your application between them — provided you meet the required subject combination at each.

Both Anglia Ruskin (ARU) and Queen's University Belfast (QUB) 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: Anglia Ruskin (ARU) interviews in December - March; Queen's University Belfast (QUB) in January - February.

Anglia Ruskin (ARU): UK Applicants: 463/648 = 71% (2025). Queen's University Belfast (QUB): Home: 332/778 = 43%; International: 51/214 = 24%.

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.

Anglia Ruskin (ARU): Local applicants (East of England, especially Essex) get a UCAT cut-off reduction. Free School Meals or care-experienced applicants are invited to interview regardless of UCAT score, provided academic and SJT minimums are met.

Queen's University Belfast (QUB): Less weight on NHS hot topics than most schools. Stronger emphasis on reflective examples of personal qualities. SJT may be used if borderline before or after interview, but in 2025 anyone with 30/42 received an interview regardless.