Where are University of Greater Manchester and Manchester located, and how does that affect cost?

University of Greater Manchester is in Bolton, UK. Manchester is in Manchester, 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. Manchester 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 Manchester

University of Greater Manchester and Manchester 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 ~34 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. Manchester is the older institution (founded 1824); the other (founded 2025) has shaped its medical school around modern integrated-curriculum thinking.

Side-by-side comparison

Show only differences

Side-by-side comparison: University of Greater Manchester and Manchester.
Comparison field	University of Greater ManchesterBolton	ManchesterManchester
Quick comparison
Location	Bolton, UK	Manchester, 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 Chemistry or Biology, plus one of Biology / Chemistry / Maths / Further Maths / Physics / Psychology. No use of predicted grades.
TrueScore	University of Greater Manchester TrueScore 1700intl	Manchester TrueScore 2060
UCAT home cut-off	Not applicable - the course is not open to home applicants for 2026-27 entry	2060+ /2700 with Band 1 or 2 SJT (2026 entry threshold, A106)
Interview format	Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)	Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance	-	2026 entry: home 985 offers from 1,667 interviews (59%); overseas 40 from 191 (21%); A101 home 91 from 157 (58%) and A101 overseas 6 from 10. Overseas applicants face a far harder run at both stages than home applicants.
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 Chemistry or Biology, plus one of Biology / Chemistry / Maths / Further Maths / Physics / Psychology. No use of predicted grades.
Contextual A-Level offer	-	AAB at A-level for WP+ contextual applicants. ABB for refugee or care-experienced (WP++) applicants.
Required A-Level subjects	Chemistry or Biology required, plus a further subject from Biology / Chemistry / Physics / Mathematics	Chemistry or Biology required, plus one of Biology / Chemistry / Mathematics / Further Mathematics / Physics / Psychology
A-Level resit policy	Resits may be considered	Resits accepted, but only one of Year 12 or Year 13 may be resat, a minimum of ABB at the first Year 13 sitting is required for resit grades to count, and the resit offer is AAA
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.	At least 7 GCSEs at grade 7, 8 or 9. English Language or Literature, Mathematics, and 2 Science subjects must be at grade 6 or above. WP+/WP++: 6 GCSEs at grade 7+ accepted. GCSE resits permitted; up to one Level 2 BTEC may be counted.
GCSE scoring methodology	-	Used only as minimum eligibility threshold - no further use of GCSEs in shortlisting beyond the floor
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 HL Chemistry or Biology plus another science from Chemistry / Biology / Physics / Psychology / Mathematics
Graduate-entry degree requirement	-	A 2:1 honours degree or above, plus a minimum of BBB at A-level at the first sitting. Applicants with a relevant science degree are exempt from the A-level subject specification but must still meet BBB. The accelerated four-year A101 Graduate Entry programme runs a separate UCAT threshold (2,080 home, 2,310 overseas for 2026 entry).
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	-	1960+ /2700 (WP+, 2026 entry threshold)
Scottish (where applicable)	-	-
Rest of UK (where applicable)	-	-
International cut-off	UCAT required from 2026 entry; no cut-off published	2250+ /2700 (2026 entry threshold) - 190 points ABOVE the home bar, not level with it
Graduate cut-off	-	2080+ /2700 for home A101, or 2310+ for overseas A101 (2026 entry)
SJT band	No usage mentioned in any selection policy	Band 1 or 2 - do not currently consider B3/4
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…	Met-or-not thresholds, set each November once results are in, so Manchester cannot confirm them in advance and they move year to year. Clear the threshold with an SJT of Band 1 or 2 and you are very l…

Degree awarded	MBChB	MBChB
Course length	5 years	5 years
Teaching style	Integrated	Case-based learning + Team-based learning
Anatomy teaching	-	Dissection
First patient contact	-	Year 3
Placement geography	The north west of England	Greater Manchester and the north west
Named placement sites	-	Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (Oxford Road), Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (Wythenshawe), Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust (formerly Salford Royal), Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Intercalation	-	Intercalate for a year to complete a BSc, a master’s degree or an MB-PhD.
Course highlight	£40 million of purpose-built facilities, in Bolton — around 20 minutes from Manchester.	The UK’s largest medical school, with over 2,200 undergraduate medical students.

Interview window	December - March	December - early 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 including a role-play that assesses verbal and non-verbal communication and empathy, plus typical MMI questions on motivation, ethics and teamwork. One station may ask you to elaborat…

Specialities	Medicine, Community Medicine	Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy
Established	2025	1824
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…	The UK's largest medical school, with over 2,200 undergraduate medical students and strong research links. Thresholds are met-or-not rather than ranked, so clearing the UCAT bar with an SJT of Band 1…
Official course page	https://medicine.greatermanchester.ac.uk/undergraduate-medical-school/	https://www.manchester.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/2026/01428/mbchb-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

Manchester

Quick comparison

Location: Manchester, UK
A-Level offer: AAA at A-level including Chemistry or Biology, plus one of Biology / Chemistry / Maths / Further Maths / Physics / Psychology. No use of predicted grades.
TrueScore: Manchester TrueScore 2060
UCAT home cut-off: 2060+ /2700 with Band 1 or 2 SJT (2026 entry threshold, A106)
Interview format: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance: 2026 entry: home 985 offers from 1,667 interviews (59%); overseas 40 from 191 (21%); A101 home 91 from 157 (58%) and A101 overseas 6 from 10. Overseas applicants face a far harder run at both stages than home applicants.
Decision date: March onwards

University of Greater Manchester vs Manchester - in detail

UCAT thresholds compared

University of Greater Manchester's published UCAT threshold for home applicants is around 2026, while Manchester sits at approximately 2060.

Their UCAT bars are statistically indistinguishable (within 34 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; Manchester: 1960+ /2700 (WP+, 2026 entry threshold). 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.

Manchester requires AAA at A-level including Chemistry or Biology, plus one of Biology / Chemistry / Maths / Further Maths / Physics / Psychology. No use of predicted grades.

Manchester 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. Manchester: At least 7 GCSEs at grade 7, 8 or 9.

English Language or Literature, Mathematics, and 2 Science subjects must be at grade 6 or above. WP+/WP++: 6 GCSEs at grade 7+ accepted. GCSE resits permitted; up…

Interview formats

Both University of Greater Manchester and Manchester 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; Manchester in December - early 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 MBChB built around problem-based learning. Clinical placements distributed across Greater Manchester NHS sector hospitals from Year 3.

Intake size: University of Greater Manchester — Not published by the school.; Manchester — Manchester publishes 401 funded places across its medicine courses - the majority for home students and 28 for international students - plus a small number of additional self-funded or government-sponsored places on the graduate-entry programme..

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.

Manchester: The UK's largest medical school, with over 2,200 undergraduate medical students and strong research links. Thresholds are met-or-not rather than ranked, so clearing the UCAT bar with an SJT of Band 1 or 2 usually earns an interview; Bands 3 and 4 are not currently considered.

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 Manchester sits at approximately 2060 — a 34-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). Manchester 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 - early March (Manchester).

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.. Manchester requires AAA including Chemistry or Biology, plus one of Biology / Chemistry / Maths / Further Maths / Physics / Psychology. 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.. Manchester — Accepted, but strictly conditioned. You may resit only one of Year 12 or Year 13. If A-levels were attempted in Year 13, you must have achie.

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. Manchester — At least 7 GCSEs at grade 7, 8 or 9. English Language or Literature, Mathematics, and 2 Science subjects must be at grade 6 or above. WP+/WP++: 6 GCSEs at grade 7+ accepted. GCSE resits permitted; up to one Level 2 BTEC may be counted. Used only as minimum eligibility threshold - no further use of GCSEs in shortlisting beyond the floor

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. Manchester's selection methodology: Academic minimums first, then UCAT must exceed cut-off. Historically, all applicants beyond the cut-off interviewed. SJT band 1 or 2 expected. 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. Manchester 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. Manchester specifics: Five-year MBChB built around problem-based learning. Clinical placements distributed across Greater Manchester NHS sector hospitals from Year 3.

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

ManchesterEntry 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 Manchester

Side-by-side comparison

University of Greater Manchester vs Manchester - 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 Manchester?

How do interviews differ between University of Greater Manchester and Manchester?

What A-Level grades do University of Greater Manchester and Manchester require?

How are GCSEs weighted at University of Greater Manchester vs Manchester?

How does each school actually shortlist applicants?

Where are University of Greater Manchester and Manchester located, and how does that affect cost?

When does each school release decisions?

What curriculum style do University of Greater Manchester and Manchester use?

Should I apply to both University of Greater Manchester and Manchester?

Where to go next

Other medical school comparisons