Hull York (HYMS) vs Manchester

Hull York (HYMS)'s published UCAT threshold for home applicants is around 2010, while Manchester sits at approximately 2030.

Their UCAT bars are statistically indistinguishable (within 20 points), so the UCAT is unlikely to be your differentiator between them.

Contextual / widening-participation cut-offs differ — Hull York (HYMS): ~1700+ /2700 with WP eligibility (4th decile minimum + minimum entry requirements); Manchester: ~1890+ /2700 WP+ (2025 entry cut-off ≈ 1890). Eligible applicants should weight this heavily when choosing.

Hull York (HYMS) requires AAA including Chemistry and Biology.

Manchester 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.

GCSE profile matters at both schools — Hull York (HYMS): Min 6 GCSEs at grade 6 including Maths, English Language, dual-award Science. Manchester: Minimum 7 GCSEs at grade 7+ including Mathematics, English Language and double-award Science.

Both Hull York (HYMS) 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: Hull York (HYMS) interviews in December - March; Manchester in December - February.

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

Specifics: Five-year MBBS jointly run by Hull and York universities. Clinical placements across Hull, York, Scarborough, and Yorkshire NHS sites. Five-year MBChB built around problem-based learning. Clinical placements distributed across Greater Manchester NHS sector hospitals from Year 3.

Intake size: Hull York (HYMS) — ~165 home + ~25 international places per year.; Manchester — ~370 home + ~30 international A106 places + ~50 GEM A101 places per year.. A larger cohort means more peer breadth; a smaller cohort means more tutor contact.

Hull York (HYMS): All (2024): 678/750 = 90%; Home: 655/695 = 94%; Overseas: 20/55 = 36%. Manchester: Home applicants: 896/1285 = 70% (2025); International: 162/322 = 50%; A101 Graduate: 87/120 = 73%.

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.

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.

Manchester: Large medical school with a diverse student body and strong research links. Cut-offs are met-or-not - historically every applicant beyond the threshold has been interviewed. SJT band 1 or 2 required (band 3/4 not currently considered).