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Medical school comparison

Hull York (HYMS) vs UCL

Hull York (HYMS) and UCL are both UK medical schools, but the path to an offer at each is meaningfully different. Hull York (HYMS) is based in Hull/York (England) while UCL sits in London (London), and the regional context shapes everything from fee status to NHS-deanery destination. Their A-Level requirements (AAA vs A*AA) place them in slightly different academic-strictness tiers. UCL is the older institution (founded 1826); the other (founded 2003) has shaped its medical school around modern integrated-curriculum thinking.

Side-by-side comparison

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
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

UCL

London

Quick comparison

Location
London, UK
A-Level offer
A*AA at A-level (offer and prediction) with the A* in Chemistry or Biology
TrueScore
2120
UCAT home cut-off
~2100+ /2700 (2025 entry cut-off ≈ 2100, first UCAT cycle replacing BMAT)
Interview format
MMI (Home), Traditional (International)
Post-interview chance
Home Fee Status (2024): 562/1032 = 54%; Contextual (2025): 58%; International (2023): 55/131 = 42%
Decision date
Decisions are made after all the Interviews have been completed
Compare different schools

Hull York (HYMS) vs UCL - in detail

UCAT thresholds compared

Hull York (HYMS)'s published UCAT threshold for home applicants is around 2010, while UCL sits at approximately 2100. The 90-point spread is within year-on-year noise — for most applicants the two thresholds are effectively interchangeable, and other selection factors (GCSE weighting, interview score) will dominate. Contextual / widening-participation cut-offs differ — Hull York (HYMS): ~1700+ /2700 with WP eligibility (4th decile minimum + minimum entry requirements); UCL: ~1950+ /2700 (Access UCL - 2025 cut-off ≈ 1950). Eligible applicants should weight this heavily when choosing.

A-Level and academic profile

Hull York (HYMS) requires AAA including Chemistry and Biology. UCL requires A*AA including Chemistry and Biology. UCL is the stricter A-Level offer; Hull York (HYMS) is slightly more forgiving. If your predicted grades are borderline, Hull York (HYMS) carries the lower academic-rejection risk pre-interview. GCSE profile matters at both schools — Hull York (HYMS): Min 6 GCSEs at grade 6 including Maths, English Language, dual-award Science. UCL: Minimum English Language and Mathematics at grade 6. GCSE resits accepted.

Interview formats

Both Hull York (HYMS) and UCL 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. That said, the specifics differ slightly: Hull York (HYMS) runs multiple mini interviews (mmi); UCL runs mmi (home), traditional (international). Mock practice tailored to each school's exact format is the highest-leverage prep. Interview windows: Hull York (HYMS) interviews in December - March; UCL in December - March.

Curriculum and teaching style

Hull York (HYMS) runs a PBL curriculum; UCL runs a Integrated curriculum. The teaching philosophies are different — Hull York (HYMS) leans on small-group case-based learning from year 1, while UCL uses a more traditional lecture-led structure. Specifics: Five-year MBBS jointly run by Hull and York universities. Clinical placements across Hull, York, Scarborough, and Yorkshire NHS sites. Six-year MBBS BSc with compulsory intercalated BSc in Year 3. Clinical placements at UCL-affiliated NHS sites including UCLH, Royal Free, and Whitting Intake size: Hull York (HYMS) — ~165 home + ~25 international places per year.; UCL — ~310 home + ~24 overseas fee status places per year.. A larger cohort means more peer breadth; a smaller cohort means more tutor contact.

Post-interview offer rate

Hull York (HYMS): All (2024): 678/750 = 90%; Home: 655/695 = 94%; Overseas: 20/55 = 36%. UCL: Home Fee Status (2024): 562/1032 = 54%; Contextual (2025): 58%; International (2023): 55/131 = 42%. 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.

What makes each distinctive

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. UCL: Cut-offs differ from Imperial - UCL's home threshold is lower while its international threshold is higher, partly because UCL holds more interviews relative to offers. SJT is only used as a tie-breaker between equally scored candidates.

Which is right for you?

For applicants with predicted A-Level grades at the lower end of the AAA-A*AA range, Hull York (HYMS) is the lower-risk academic option. Regionally, the choice often comes down to cost of living and NHS-deanery preferences — Hull York (HYMS) feeds into the England foundation programme network; UCL into the London network. If you learn best in small-group case discussion, prefer Hull York (HYMS); if you prefer lecture-led foundations, the other suits better. 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

Hull York (HYMS)'s typical home cut-off is around 2010, while UCL sits at approximately 2100 — a 90-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.

Hull York (HYMS) uses Multiple Mini Interviews: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI). UCL uses Multiple Mini Interviews: MMI (Home), Traditional (International). 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 (Hull York (HYMS)); December - March (UCL).

Hull York (HYMS) requires AAA including Chemistry and Biology. UCL requires A*AA including Chemistry and Biology. Most successful applicants achieve these grades on first sitting with strong predicted grades from their school. Resit policies differ: Hull York (HYMS) — Resits accepted.. UCL — A-Level resits not accepted..

Hull York (HYMS) — Min 6 GCSEs at grade 6 including Maths, English Language, dual-award Science. UCL — Minimum English Language and Mathematics at grade 6. GCSE resits accepted.

Hull York (HYMS)'s selection methodology: Joint Hull-York programme. UCAT + academic + MMI. Distinctive 'Hull York' brand with placements across both cities. UCL's selection methodology: Beyond minimum academic requirements, shortlisting is wholly by UCAT total score. Higher post-interview offer rate (more interviews relative to offers) than Imperial. 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.

Hull York (HYMS): All (2024): 678/750 = 90%; Home: 655/695 = 94%; Overseas: 20/55 = 36%. UCL: Home Fee Status (2024): 562/1032 = 54%; Contextual (2025): 58%; International (2023): 55/131 = 42%. Post-interview odds tell you how competitive each school is at the final stage. Two schools with similar UCAT thresholds can have very different post-interview rates — a school with a 60% post-interview success rate is structurally easier to convert than one at 25%.

Hull York (HYMS) is in Hull/York, UK. UCL is in London, 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).

Hull York (HYMS) typically releases medicine decisions March onwards. UCL releases medicine decisions Decisions are made after all the Interviews have been completed. 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.

Hull York (HYMS) runs a PBL curriculum. UCL runs a Integrated curriculum. The teaching philosophies differ — pick the style that matches how you learn best. Hull York (HYMS) specifics: Five-year MBBS jointly run by Hull and York universities. Clinical placements across Hull, York, Scarborough, and Yorkshire NHS sites. UCL specifics: Six-year MBBS BSc with compulsory intercalated BSc in Year 3. Clinical placements at UCL-affiliated NHS sites including UCLH, Royal Free, and Whittington.

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.

School data reviewed by the NextGen MedPrep editorial team — last reviewed 20 June 2026.