Where are University of Greater Manchester and Hull York (HYMS) located, and how does that affect cost?

University of Greater Manchester is in Bolton, UK. Hull York (HYMS) is in Hull/York, UK. Tuition is £9,250/year at both for UK home applicants; the main cost difference is accommodation (London accommodation typically runs 30-50% above the national average).

When does each school release decisions?

University of Greater Manchester typically releases medicine decisions March onwards. Hull York (HYMS) 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

University of Greater Manchester vs Hull York (HYMS)

University of Greater Manchester and Hull York (HYMS) are both UK medical schools, but the path to an offer at each is meaningfully different. Both sit in England, so location and clinical-placement breadth are similar — the differentiation comes from selection methodology, interview style and curriculum philosophy.

Their UCAT thresholds are remarkably close (within ~16 points), so the deciding factors are GCSE weighting, interview format and personal-statement use. Their A-Level requirements (AAB vs AAA) place them in slightly different academic-strictness tiers.

Side-by-side comparison

Show only differences

Side-by-side comparison: University of Greater Manchester and Hull York (HYMS).
Comparison field	University of Greater ManchesterBolton	Hull York (HYMS)Hull/York
Quick comparison
Location	Bolton, UK	Hull/York, UK
A-Level offer	Minimum AAB at A-level (offer and prediction) including Chemistry or Biology and one further subject from Biology / Chemistry / Physics / Mathematics. Completed in one sitting across a maximum of two years.	AAA at A-level including Biology and Chemistry (3 A-levels studied and awarded concurrently)
TrueScore	University of Greater Manchester TrueScore 1700intl	Hull York (HYMS) TrueScore 1980
UCAT home cut-off	Not applicable - the course is not open to home applicants for 2026-27 entry	~2010+ /2700 with B1 SJT and 6× grade 9s safest (~7th decile UCAT); ~1950+ consider with strong GCSE/SJT mix
Interview format	Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)	Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance	-	All (2024): 678/750 = 90%; Home: 655/695 = 94%; Overseas: 20/55 = 36%
Decision date	March onwards	March onwards

A-Level offer	Minimum AAB at A-level (offer and prediction) including Chemistry or Biology and one further subject from Biology / Chemistry / Physics / Mathematics. Completed in one sitting across a maximum of two years.	AAA at A-level including Biology and Chemistry (3 A-levels studied and awarded concurrently)
Contextual A-Level offer	-	ABB at A-level for widening-access applicants
Required A-Level subjects	Chemistry or Biology required, plus a further subject from Biology / Chemistry / Physics / Mathematics	Biology and Chemistry both required. AAB + grade A in EPQ also accepted.
A-Level resit policy	Resits may be considered	Resits accepted only if first sitting was BBB or higher. Applicants may repeat or restart Year 12 once with no restrictions.
GCSE requirements	Five GCSEs at grade 6/B or above, including Mathematics, English Language and two science subjects. Resits accepted in GCSE English Language or Mathematics.	Minimum 6 GCSEs at grade 4/C or equivalent, including English Language and Mathematics at grade 6/B or above. GCSE resits accepted (including pending).
GCSE scoring methodology	-	Top 6 GCSEs scored /35 in points system. Mostly grade 8/9s typically needed to be safely competitive.
Scottish Highers	-	-
Scottish Advanced Highers	-	-
International Baccalaureate	34 points overall, 6,6,6 at Higher Level including Chemistry or Biology and one of Biology / Chemistry / Physics / Mathematics	36 points overall, 6,6,6 at Higher Level including Biology and Chemistry
Graduate-entry degree requirement	-	-
Alternative qualifications	International students only for 2026-27 entry; the school has indicated home eligibility may change in future cycles, so confirm directly with admissions before applying. Applications are made directly to the school rather than through UCAS. UCAT required of all applicants from 2026 entry, with no published cut-off and no SJT use.	-

Contextual cut-off	-	~1700+ /2700 with WP eligibility (4th decile minimum + minimum entry requirements)
Scottish (where applicable)	-	-
Rest of UK (where applicable)	-	-
International cut-off	UCAT required from 2026 entry; no cut-off published	~2020+ /2700 (similar threshold to home, ranked separately)
Graduate cut-off	-	-
SJT band	No usage mentioned in any selection policy	Used to shortlist, scored /15. Band 4 automatically rejected. (B1 = 15, B2 ≈ 10, B3 ≈ 5)
UCAT notes	The school requires the UCAT of all applicants from 2026 entry but publishes no threshold, so no cut-off should be inferred. No SJT use stated. Applications are made directly to the school, outside th…	Points system out of 100: UCAT by decile /35 + SJT band /15 + best six achieved GCSEs /35 + contextual /15. HYMS states it does not look for a specific score - it ranks applicants numerically within t…

Degree awarded	MBChB	MB BS
Course length	5 years	5 years
Teaching style	Integrated	Problem-based learning
Anatomy teaching	-	-
First patient contact	-	Year 1
Placement geography	The north west of England	Yorkshire and the Humber
Named placement sites	-	-
Intercalation	-	An optional additional year, with options including clinical anatomy, immunology and infection, neuroscience, pharmacology and drug development, public health, and health professions education.
Course highlight	£40 million of purpose-built facilities, in Bolton — around 20 minutes from Manchester.	The MB BS is awarded jointly by the University of Hull and the University of York.

Interview window	December - March	December - March
Interview details	Interviews are conducted online and run as a series of mini-interviews and tests. From 2026 entry every applicant must sit the UCAT; the school publishes no cut-off score.	Five-station MMI: two 10-minute mini-interviews with 5 minutes' prep each, a 10-minute student station, a 20-minute PBL group exercise led by a tutor, and a 5-minute scenario station built around a pr…

Specialities	Medicine, Community Medicine	Medicine, Medical Education
Established	2025	2003
Course type	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
What makes it different	For 2026-27 entry the MBChB is open to international students only. Applications are made directly to the school, so a place here costs you none of your four UCAS medical choices. Teaching is based at…	Points-based shortlisting: UCAT decile (/35) + SJT (/15) + GCSE top 6 subjects (/35) + contextual data (/15). The PBL group exercise is unusual among UK medical schools and reflects HYMS's problem-bas…
Official course page	https://medicine.greatermanchester.ac.uk/undergraduate-medical-school/	https://www.hyms.ac.uk/medicine/mbbs-medicine

University of Greater Manchester

Bolton

Quick comparison

Location: Bolton, UK
A-Level offer: Minimum AAB at A-level (offer and prediction) including Chemistry or Biology and one further subject from Biology / Chemistry / Physics / Mathematics. Completed in one sitting across a maximum of two years.
TrueScore: University of Greater Manchester TrueScore 1700intl
UCAT home cut-off: Not applicable - the course is not open to home applicants for 2026-27 entry
Interview format: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance: -
Decision date: March onwards

Hull York (HYMS)

Hull/York

Quick comparison

Location: Hull/York, UK
A-Level offer: AAA at A-level including Biology and Chemistry (3 A-levels studied and awarded concurrently)
TrueScore: Hull York (HYMS) TrueScore 1980
UCAT home cut-off: ~2010+ /2700 with B1 SJT and 6× grade 9s safest (~7th decile UCAT); ~1950+ consider with strong GCSE/SJT mix
Interview format: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance: All (2024): 678/750 = 90%; Home: 655/695 = 94%; Overseas: 20/55 = 36%
Decision date: March onwards

University of Greater Manchester vs Hull York (HYMS) - in detail

UCAT thresholds compared

University of Greater Manchester's published UCAT threshold for home applicants is around 2026, while Hull York (HYMS) sits at approximately 2010.

Their UCAT bars are statistically indistinguishable (within 16 points), so the UCAT is unlikely to be your differentiator between them.

Contextual / widening-participation cut-offs differ — University of Greater Manchester: not separately disclosed; Hull York (HYMS): ~1700+ /2700 with WP eligibility (4th decile minimum + minimum entry requirements). Eligible applicants should weight this heavily when choosing.

A-Level and academic profile

University of Greater Manchester requires Minimum AAB at A-level (offer and prediction) including Chemistry or Biology and one further subject from Biology / Chemistry / Physics / Mathematics. Completed in one sitting across a maximum of two years.

Hull York (HYMS) requires AAA at A-level including Biology and Chemistry (3 A-levels studied and awarded concurrently).

Hull York (HYMS) is the stricter A-Level offer; University of Greater Manchester is slightly more forgiving. If your predicted grades are borderline, University of Greater Manchester carries the lower academic-rejection risk pre-interview.

GCSE profile matters at both schools — University of Greater Manchester: Five GCSEs at grade 6/B or above, including Mathematics, English Language and two science subjects. Resits accepted in GCSE English Language or Mathematics. Hull York (HYMS): Minimum 6 GCSEs at grade 4/C or equivalent, including English Language and Mathematics at grade 6/B or above. GCSE resits accepted (including pending).

Top 6 GCSEs scored /35 in points system. Mostly…

Interview formats

Both University of Greater Manchester and Hull York (HYMS) 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: University of Greater Manchester interviews in December - March; Hull York (HYMS) in December - March.

Curriculum and teaching style

Both schools deliver a PBL-style curriculum, so day-to-day study habits will feel similar across years 1-3.

Specifics: Five-year MBChB taught at the Institute of Medical Sciences on the Royal Bolton Hospital site, with clinical placements through the school's own healt Five-year MBBS jointly run by Hull and York universities. Clinical placements across Hull, York, Scarborough, and Yorkshire NHS sites.

Intake size: University of Greater Manchester — Not published by the school.; Hull York (HYMS) — ~165 home + ~25 international places per year.. A larger cohort means more peer breadth; a smaller cohort means more tutor contact.

What makes each distinctive

University of Greater Manchester: For 2026-27 entry the MBChB is open to international students only. Applications are made directly to the school, so a place here costs you none of your four UCAS medical choices. Teaching is based at the Institute of Medical Sciences on the Royal Bolton Hospital site.

Hull York (HYMS): Points-based shortlisting: UCAT decile (/35) + SJT (/15) + GCSE top 6 subjects (/35) + contextual data (/15). The PBL group exercise is unusual among UK medical schools and reflects HYMS's problem-based curriculum.

Which is right for you?

For applicants with predicted A-Level grades at the lower end of the AAA-A*AA range, University of Greater Manchester is the lower-risk academic option. Both schools sit in the same England foundation-programme catchment, so post-graduation training paths overlap heavily.

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

University of Greater Manchester's typical home cut-off is around 2026, while Hull York (HYMS) sits at approximately 2010 — a 16-point spread. The spread is small enough that other factors (GCSE weighting, interview score, contextual flags) usually dominate the firm/insurance decision. Cut-offs change year on year and vary by tier — check each school's latest published threshold before submitting your UCAS form.

University of Greater Manchester uses Multiple Mini Interviews: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI). Hull York (HYMS) uses Multiple Mini Interviews: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI). The format is the same, so the same prep approach applies — practise ethics frameworks, NHS hot topics, and (for MMI) structured 5-7 minute station answers. Interview windows: December - March (University of Greater Manchester); December - March (Hull York (HYMS)).

University of Greater Manchester requires Minimum AAB offer/prediction, must include chemistry or biology and one further subject from biology/chemistry/physics/maths. Completed in one sitting across a maximum of two years. May consider resits. GCSEs: 5 subjects at grade 6, must include maths, English language and two sciences; will consider resits in GCSE English language or maths.. Hull York (HYMS) requires AAA including Biology and Chemistry (3 A-levels studied and awarded concurrently). Most successful applicants achieve these grades on first sitting with strong predicted grades from their school. Resit policies differ: University of Greater Manchester — Resits may be considered.. Hull York (HYMS) — Resits accepted..

University of Greater Manchester — Five GCSEs at grade 6/B or above, including Mathematics, English Language and two science subjects. Resits accepted in GCSE English Language or Mathematics. Hull York (HYMS) — Minimum 6 GCSEs at grade 4/C or equivalent, including English Language and Mathematics at grade 6/B or above. GCSE resits accepted (including pending). Top 6 GCSEs scored /35 in points system. Mostly grade 8/9s typically needed to be safely competitive.

University of Greater Manchester's selection methodology: Academic entry requirements plus UCAT (required of all applicants from 2026 entry, with no published cut-off), then an online interview made up of a series of mini-interviews and tests. Direct application to the school rather than through UCAS. Hull York (HYMS)'s selection methodology: Joint Hull-York programme. UCAT + academic + MMI. Distinctive 'Hull York' brand with placements across both cities. 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.

University of Greater Manchester runs a PBL curriculum. Hull York (HYMS) runs a PBL curriculum. Both schools deliver teaching in the same broad style, so day-to-day study habits will feel similar. University of Greater Manchester specifics: Five-year MBChB taught at the Institute of Medical Sciences on the Royal Bolton Hospital site, with clinical placements through the school's own healthcare partners. Hull York (HYMS) specifics: Five-year MBBS jointly run by Hull and York universities. Clinical placements across Hull, York, Scarborough, and Yorkshire NHS sites.

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

University of Greater ManchesterEntry requirements, interview format and key dates in full

Hull York (HYMS)Entry 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.

University of Greater Manchester vs Hull York (HYMS)

Side-by-side comparison

University of Greater Manchester vs Hull York (HYMS) - in detail

UCAT thresholds compared

A-Level and academic profile

Interview formats

Curriculum and teaching style

What makes each distinctive

Which is right for you?

Common questions

What UCAT score do I need for University of Greater Manchester vs Hull York (HYMS)?

How do interviews differ between University of Greater Manchester and Hull York (HYMS)?

What A-Level grades do University of Greater Manchester and Hull York (HYMS) require?

How are GCSEs weighted at University of Greater Manchester vs Hull York (HYMS)?

How does each school actually shortlist applicants?

Where are University of Greater Manchester and Hull York (HYMS) located, and how does that affect cost?

When does each school release decisions?

What curriculum style do University of Greater Manchester and Hull York (HYMS) use?

Should I apply to both University of Greater Manchester and Hull York (HYMS)?

Where to go next

Other medical school comparisons