Where are University of Greater Manchester and Queen's University Belfast (QUB) located, and how does that affect cost?

University of Greater Manchester is in Bolton, UK. Queen's University Belfast (QUB) is in Belfast, 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. Queen's University Belfast (QUB) releases medicine decisions April 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 Queen's University Belfast (QUB)

University of Greater Manchester and Queen's University Belfast (QUB) are both UK medical schools, but the path to an offer at each is meaningfully different. University of Greater Manchester is based in Bolton (England) while Queen's University Belfast (QUB) sits in Belfast (Northern Ireland), and the regional context shapes everything from fee status to NHS-deanery destination.

On UCAT alone there is roughly a 1326-point gap between them — a substantial difference that should shape which you list as firm choice vs. insurance. Their A-Level requirements (AAB vs A*AA) place them in slightly different academic-strictness tiers.

Queen's University Belfast (QUB) is the older institution (founded 1849); 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 Queen's University Belfast (QUB).
Comparison field	University of Greater ManchesterBolton	Queen's University Belfast (QUB)Belfast
Quick comparison
Location	Bolton, UK	Belfast, 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.	A*AA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology (or Maths/Physics - see subject rules)
TrueScore	University of Greater Manchester TrueScore 1700intl	Queen's University Belfast (QUB) TrueScore 1700
UCAT home cut-off	Not applicable - the course is not open to home applicants for 2026-27 entry	No cut-off published. Queen's ranks applicants on cognitive performance, with the overall UCAT score contributing points alongside GCSE attainment, and invites roughly the top 700 to interview.
Interview format	Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)	Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance	-	Good. Queen's states that once you reach interview it anticipates at least a one-in-two chance of an offer, so the hard part is being among the roughly 700 selected.
Decision date	March onwards	April 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.	A*AA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology (or Maths/Physics - see subject rules)
Contextual A-Level offer	-	-
Required A-Level subjects	Chemistry or Biology required, plus a further subject from Biology / Chemistry / Physics / Mathematics	Standard offer: A*AA inc Chemistry and Biology, OR Chemistry and Maths/Physics with grade B in AS Biology. Alternative: AAA + grade A in 4th AS-level/EPQ (Chemistry + one of Biology/Maths/Physics; if Maths or Physics chosen, AS Biology grade A required).
A-Level resit policy	Resits may be considered	Resits accepted only for previous Belfast applicants who held a conditional firm offer and must have achieved AAA or A*AB on first attempt
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 grade C/4 in GCSE Mathematics, English and Physics (or 4-4 in Double Science) if not offered at AS-level or A-level
GCSE scoring methodology	-	Top 9 GCSEs scored /36: A*/9 = 4 pts, A/7-8 = 3 pts, B/6 = 2 pts, C/4-5 = 1 pt. GCSEs are 80% of pre-interview score under the 2026 system (UCAT 20%).
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 Chemistry and Biology (or Chemistry plus Maths/Physics)
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	-	-
Scottish (where applicable)	-	-
Rest of UK (where applicable)	-	-
International cut-off	UCAT required from 2026 entry; no cut-off published	-
Graduate cut-off	-	-
SJT band	No usage mentioned in any selection policy	May be used if borderline before/after interview. 2025: anyone with 30/42 received interview, didn't matter. 2024: 38/42 cut off, or 37/42 with B1 or B2.
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…	Because UCAT is only part of a combined score, a lower UCAT can still be carried by a strong GCSE profile and vice versa. Queen's publishes the exact scoring system each cycle in its "How we choose ou…

Degree awarded	MBChB	MB BCh BAO
Course length	5 years	5 years
Teaching style	Integrated	Traditional / lecture-led + Integrated
Anatomy teaching	-	Dissection
First patient contact	-	Year 1
Placement geography	The north west of England	Across Northern Ireland
Named placement sites	-	Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, Northern Health and Social Care Trust, South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust, Southern Health and Social Care Trust, Western Health and Social Care Trust
Intercalation	-	-
Course highlight	£40 million of purpose-built facilities, in Bolton — around 20 minutes from Manchester.	-

Interview window	December - March	January - February
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.	MMI format with stations centred around the qualities of a good doctor - for example, "describe a time you have shown resilience" rather than NHS-policy or current-affairs questions.

Specialities	Medicine, Community Medicine	Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy
Established	2025	1849
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…	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…
Official course page	https://medicine.greatermanchester.ac.uk/undergraduate-medical-school/	https://www.qub.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/medicine-mb-a100/

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

Queen's University Belfast (QUB)

Belfast

Quick comparison

Location: Belfast, UK
A-Level offer: A*AA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology (or Maths/Physics - see subject rules)
TrueScore: Queen's University Belfast (QUB) TrueScore 1700
UCAT home cut-off: No cut-off published. Queen's ranks applicants on cognitive performance, with the overall UCAT score contributing points alongside GCSE attainment, and invites roughly the top 700 to interview.
Interview format: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance: Good. Queen's states that once you reach interview it anticipates at least a one-in-two chance of an offer, so the hard part is being among the roughly 700 selected.
Decision date: April onwards

University of Greater Manchester vs Queen's University Belfast (QUB) - in detail

UCAT thresholds compared

University of Greater Manchester's published UCAT threshold for home applicants is around 2026, while Queen's University Belfast (QUB) sits at approximately 700.

That's a 1326-point gap — large enough to put the two schools in completely different competitiveness tiers. An applicant scoring in the 1100-1600 band would be competitive at Queen's University Belfast (QUB) but borderline at University of Greater Manchester.

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.

Queen's University Belfast (QUB) requires A*AA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology (or Maths/Physics - see subject rules).

Queen's University Belfast (QUB) 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. Queen's University Belfast (QUB): Minimum grade C/4 in GCSE Mathematics, English and Physics (or 4-4 in Double Science) if not offered at AS-level or A-level.

Top 9 GCSEs scored /36: A*/9 = 4 pts, A/7-8 = 3 pts, B/6 = 2 pts, C/4-5 =…

Interview formats

Both University of Greater Manchester 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: University of Greater Manchester interviews in December - March; Queen's University Belfast (QUB) in January - February.

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.

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.

Which is right for you?

If your UCAT lands below the UK median (~1880/2700), Queen's University Belfast (QUB) is the more realistic firm-choice option. 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.

Regionally, the choice often comes down to cost of living and NHS-deanery preferences — University of Greater Manchester feeds into the England foundation programme network; Queen's University Belfast (QUB) into the Northern Ireland 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

University of Greater Manchester's typical home cut-off is around 2026, while Queen's University Belfast (QUB) sits at approximately 700 — a 1326-point spread. That's a meaningful gap; Queen's University Belfast (QUB) is materially more accessible for an average-to-good UCAT, while University of Greater Manchester expects performance closer to the top 25% of test-takers. 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). Queen's University Belfast (QUB) 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); January - February (Queen's University Belfast (QUB)).

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.. Queen's University Belfast (QUB) requires A*AA including Chemistry and Biology (or Maths/Physics - see subject rules). Most successful applicants achieve these grades on first sitting with strong predicted grades from their school.

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. Queen's University Belfast (QUB) — Minimum grade C/4 in GCSE Mathematics, English and Physics (or 4-4 in Double Science) if not offered at AS-level or A-level. Top 9 GCSEs scored /36: A*/9 = 4 pts, A/7-8 = 3 pts, B/6 = 2 pts, C/4-5 = 1 pt. GCSEs are 80% of pre-interview score under the 2026 system (UCAT 20%).

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. Queen's University Belfast (QUB)'s selection methodology: shortlisting weight not fully disclosed; check the official admissions page. 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.

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

Queen's University Belfast (QUB)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.